Sustaining the Wings, Part Two
by Team Blue
Summary: The Underground has it's work cut out for getting Major Miller out of Germany and back to England. Hochstetter's hot on the trail and it's going to take a little of that ol' black magic from Papa Bear to make sure Miller makes it to the sub, safe!
1. Safe for Now

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any actual resemblance to persons or historical persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Hogan's Heroes characters, settings, ect. are owned by other entities who have not endorsed this fic nor have they given permission for their use. Author makes no claims to these characters and is not making any profit off their use.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the author or any legally assigned agents of the author.

© Copyright: ­2004. Lisa Philbrick

**Hogan's Heroes:  
****Sustaining the Wings, Part Two****  
****by: Lisa Philbrick**

**  
Soligen, ****Germany  
****November 1944  
****Day 7**

Another truck. Somewhere out in the middle of a darkened nowhere, the commandeered Gestapo truck stopped and everyone was moved from the truck to one of Fritz's empty panel trucks, the same truck that had been used to hold the unconscious guards from the radio station. At the time Fritz and his men had gone into the radio station, the unconscious guards were pulled from the truck and left in the alley behind the building. The truck then took off in order to be where it needed to be for the switch.

Another drive. It was a thirty minute ride over bumpy roads, the only noise coming from the truck itself, as metal creaked and rattled with each bump and the exhaust note changing as Emery stepped on the gas, or let off it.

Another barn. Only this time, there were no underground agents waiting when the truck pulled in. Fritz and Emery quickly got out of the truck and hurried to the doors of the barn, pulling them closed. With the moonlight blocked out, the barn was thick with black but only for a moment. Fritz found an oil lamp and lit it, hanging it upon the wall of the barn and warm orange glow crept into the room.

Emery went to the back of the truck and knocked to signal that everything was okay. The back door opened and Major Miller looked relieved.

"We will be safe here for the night," Fritz said, coming towards them. Emery pulled open the other door and extended a hand to help Miller step down from the truck. Miller then turned and, with Emery, helped the kids to step out of the truck.

"Where are we?" Miller asked.

"We are a few kilometers outside of Soligen, about 25 kilometers southeast of Düsseldorf."

"Southeast? I thought we were heading north?"

Fritz chuckled. "We will be from this point."

"_Fritz!"_ a woman's voice caught everyone's attention. Standing in the door way of the barn a heavy set German woman, who looked to be well into her fifties, stood wearing a brown cotton floor length dress with a white apron over it and holding an oil lantern. Her graying brown hair was pulled up into a bun and she wore no make up. Her face was kind, but her features were creased with the concern and worry of war. She stepped towards the gathered men, keeping her eye on Fritz. "_A cold barn is no place for these young men to be, bring them inside!"_

_"I was just about to,_" Fritz replied with a smile. He gestured back toward the door for her to lead the way. She gave a sigh and turned, heading back to the door way. Fritz gestured to the Major and the kids to follow her.

Miller led the way and followed the light of the lantern and the swishing sound of the woman's dress fabric as she moved quickly across the yard to the house. When they reached the house, she held the door open and looked at Major Miller and spoke with gentle persuasion. "_Go in._"

Miller removed the hat he wore. "Danke," he replied. He stepped inside the house and found himself in a large kitchen, the room softly illuminated by two oil lanterns that sat upon a table in an open dining area off to his left. Black-out coverings hung on the windows, blocking the light from escaping outside. There were a few pictures hanging on the colorless walls, and a large oak cabinet, full of delicate dishes and tea cups behind its glassed doors. There was the smell of food that was welcomed by the senses and the old pine wood floor creaked as he stepped aside of the door, letting the other kids in as well.

The Major watched the kids file into the kitchen area, their noses pointed into the air at the smell of something good cooking. The first sounds of carefree chuckling brought a feeling of peace and safety that hadn't been felt for quite a number of days. They were safe....for now. He wouldn't rest easy until he was back on English soil again, but for now some of the tension was released from his shoulders. He drew in a grateful deep breath and smelling the food again, was becoming curious as to what it was.

Fritz and Emery were the last to come into the house and the woman came in closing the door behind her. She stepped behind Major Miller and placed the lantern on a countertop in the kitchen. She then turned to Fritz.

"Wilhelmina_, this is Major Glenn Miller..." _Fritz said, pointing to Miller.

Wilhelmina looked at Miller and smiled warmly, the creases of her features becoming more apparent. "Fritz has told me much of you,"she said, her English heavily accented. She took a hold of Miller's forearm, giving a reassuring grip. "You will be safe here"

Miller nodded at Wilhelmina and raised his right forearm to place his left hand over hers in appreciation and friendship. "Danke," he said. "I know you take a great risk by having us all here."

She shook her head. "I take risk because it helps to defeat the Nazi's. It will not be long before the Allies reach into Germany itself, and I will continue to take risks to help your countrymen, to save my own countrymen."

Fritz swelled with pride at Wilhelmina's words. Miller too felt a chill and he gave a solemn nod, acknowledging her duty and promising that the arrival of Allied troops would see the defeat of the Nazi's and the rise of a new Germany.

She gave his arm a gentle grip again before letting go and smiled at him. "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" she asked hopefully.

Miller chuckled softly. "Not a lot. A few words here and there."

Wilhelmina nodded, still smiling. "You are hungry, ja?"

"Starved."

"Gute! I have fixed good meal for you and these boys. Come..."

**  
Gestapo Headquarters  
****Düsseldorf, ****Germany  
****November 1944  
****Day 7**

Major Hochstetter wasn't kidding when he said the town of Düsseldorf would be surrounded by a ring of steel. With his soldiers already in place for the sweep of the Swing Youths, which never happened, it didn't take much time to shift the priorities to search and destroy. The fire at the radio station, however, provided just enough of a delay before Hochstetter could issue the new orders and that delay allowed the truck carrying Miller and the kids to get out of Düsseldorf.

Unfortunately, Colonel Hogan and the others didn't know that for sure. Hochstetter had taken them, along with Schultz and Klink to Gestapo Headquarters for questioning. They were locked in two cells, side by side, for the time being, Hogan and the heroes in one, Klink and Schultz in the other. The heroes could only hope the truck had slipped out of town, especially when they realized that Hochstetter's threat of Miller not making it out of Düsseldorf alive was turned to a promise. Shoot to kill orders were issued, explicitly.

"London's gotta be wonderin' what happened with that broadcast," Newkirk said quietly, tapping ashes off the end of his cigarette and letting them fall to the concrete floor of the cell. "They had to have been listenin'..."

Hogan nodded. "And by the time we get out of here to tell them, they'll have worked themselves up into a conniption fit."

"Maybe they'll figure Miller's broke out and that we're all being questioned," Kinch suggested. "On that chance they might order the sub to be there for tomorrow anyway."

"They might. Of course, they might figure we've all been killed in the escape attempt." Hogan paused, looking around at the other cells in the lock up. "The sooner Hochstetter lets us out of here, the better."

There was a pause as the heroes considered their plight. Carter looked especially troubled by something and he looked at the Colonel.

"They're really going to shoot him, aren't they?"

"If they find him," Hogan replied.

"And we're stuck here!" LeBeau hissed. "The dirty Boche will try to kill him and we can not do anything!"

"Shhh..." Hogan held his hands out, indicating for his troop to stay calm. "Even if we weren't here, there's little we'd be able to do at this point. All of us know that once somebody is on the escape route, it's out of our hands. Fritz and his men know what they're doing and Miller will be well protected. The best we can do is make sure things on this end don't end up compromised."

The door to the lock up opened with a loud click and everybody in the cells looked to see who was coming. Major Hochstetter marched from the door down the length of the cells with two guards in tow behind him, eyeing the one that held Hogan and his men. Klink immediately stood up and went to the bars of the cell he and Schultz were in.

"Major Hochstetter, I must protest our being held like this. Surely you can't think that I, or Sergeant Schultz here could have had anything to do with what happened at the radio station?"

"Quiet! Everyone who was there is being questioned."

"Even General Burkhalter?"

"_Even General Burkhalter!_ Even the Propaganda ministers! Everyone!" Hochstetter turned from Klink and walked to the cell were Hogan and his men were. "Unlock it," he ordered the guard. The door was unlocked and Hochstetter stepped inside with the other guard, who held his rifle pointed at the heroes.

"Who were they, Colonel Hogan?"

"Who were who?"

"Do not play stupid with me. You knew about the escape didn't you?"

"Escape? Looked more like a kidnapping to me..."

"Who's idea was it to not play any actual music for the broadcast?"

"That was Major Miller's idea. He ordered us not to play real music."

"He ordered you?"

"Hogan, that's ridiculous!" Klink said from the other cell. "You're a Colonel, he's a Major. You outrank him."

"Shut up, Klink!" Hochstetter snarled.

"Well, that may be true," Hogan continued, answering Klink. "But when you play in a band for Glenn Miller, he outranks everybody."

"Then Major Miller knew there was going to be an escape," Hochstetter concluded.

"Was it really an escape? Truthfully it looked more like a kidnapping..." Hogan said.

"It was an escape, Colonel Hogan. There is no doubt. And if Major Miller ordered all of you to not play music, then he must have known there was to be an escape as the....noise that he did have you play served as a cue."

"And here I thought he was just saving his best expression of telling the Propaganda Ministry to go to hell for the broadcast. He's essentially embarrassed everyone now hasn't he? The Gestapo, the Propaganda Ministry..."

"What he has essentially done is sign his own death warrant," Hochstetter said cooly. "I ask you again, Colonel Hogan, who were the men that came into the radio station dressed in Gestapo uniforms?"

"You mean they weren't really Gestapo?"

"No. They were fakes. My guards were all found unconscious in the alley behind the radio station. Each one of them remembers being approached by someone and then knocked out. Who were they, Colonel Hogan?"

"How should I know?! They looked Gestapo to me..."

"Perhaps Major Miller told you there was going to be an escape, when you and your men here went to see him last night at the Düsseldorf Hotel?"

"No. We discussed the broadcast." Hogan chuckled. "See I, heh, commandeered some sheet music from the Major. I was going to do my own rehearsal back at Stalag 13 with Carter and Newkirk, but Schultz over there, he doesn't miss a thing. He spotted the sheet music I had and he turned us right back around and brought us right back here to Düsseldorf to have me return the sheet music."

Hochstetter turned and looked at Schultz.

"That is true, Major," Schultz said. "I brought them di-rectly back here to return the sheet music."

"Hmmm..." Hochstetter turned back to Hogan. "And it took you two hours to turn the sheet music over to Major Miller?"

"It took two hours to rehearse," Hogan corrected. "See, the Propaganda Ministry brought Carter and Newkirk in too late for Miller to get a good rehearsal with them, so I thought, seeing as we had come all the way back here why not just do a couple hours of rehearsal right then and there. Schultz stood right outside the door the whole two hours."

"That I did, Major!" Schultz said. "And I did hear them sing. They sounded very good..."

"Baahh..." Hochstetter waved Schultz off. He looked at Hogan again. "Why would you spend two hours rehearsing music that wasn't going to be played?"

"Because for all we knew, we were going to actually play music. Miller didn't say anything about playing it the other way until just before the broadcast."

"Then he knew! He had to have known! Colonel Hogan, you are lying to me..."

"Major, I volunteered to do this broadcast for one reason and one reason only. I couldn't believe that Glenn Miller had been captured, let alone was going to do this broadcast and in essence freely commit treason. Once I found it really was him I couldn't back out and neither could the others here. He made it very clear to us that he was not going to allow himself to commit treason. But he was going to push it just far enough so that he could throw a really nice monkey wrench into the Propaganda Ministry's works. I warned him though, I told him it was dangerous. I told him we could all end up being killed for it. But he was willing to accept that risk, and frankly so were we. Now putting that all in perspective, Major Glenn Miller wouldn't have risked the hair on any of us if he couldn't help it. Which makes sense that maybe he did know there was going to be an escape attempt. But, if that's true...why didn't he take us with him?"

Hochstetter paused. He hadn't considered that. He smirked at Hogan. "Maybe he didn't like you, Colonel."

Hogan chuckled. "Possible. But he's an allied officer and even though he's a bandleader he knows it's every officer's duty to escape. And had he had such an opportunity he would have taken us with him, whether he liked us or not." Hogan stood up now from the cot in the cell. "No, I think you're going about this the wrong way." He paced a moment toward the bars that looked to Klink and Schultz's cell. The Gestapo guard kept his rifle pointed at him. "You know there's no possible way that Kommandant Klink here or Sergeant Schultz could have had anything to do with the escape--if it was indeed an escape. You know General Burkhalter is even less likely to have had anything to do with it. Nope, I don't believe Miller escaped at all." Hogan turned to face Hochstetter. "I think he was kidnapped."

"By who?" Klink asked. "It was our side that kidnapped him in the first place..."

"Well, could be someone in the Gestapo," Hogan glanced back at Klink and resumed his slow pacing again. "Or it could be the Propaganda Ministry. Or it could be some combination of both." Hogan stopped and turned to Hochstetter. "Major, the only thing me and my men are guilty of is having an ounce of fighting spirit still left and following Major Miller in messing up that broadcast. Now we know we'll be punished for that, but to suggest that we had anything to do with the Major being led away by five _Gestapo dressed_ individuals is ridiculous!"

"No one in the Gestapo would do anything like this!" Hochstetter insisted. "It would be high treason!"

"Would it, if they were ordered by a higher authority? Something to think about, Major. Maybe somebody in the Gestapo, or the Propaganda Ministry was jealous and wanted Miller as their own prize catch."

Major Hochstetter paused to consider this. "Remotely possible," he conceded. "However, until I find evidence to suggest such an endeavor, Major Miller will still be considered to have escaped and either way he will be shot when found. I will not allow him to humiliate the Gestapo, and the Third Reich, or be part of a division in ranks and get away with it." He turned to this guards. "Release them, along with the Kommandant and Sergeant Schultz and get them out of here."

"Jawohl, Herr Major!"


	2. Punishment

**Düsseldorf, ****Germany  
****November 1944  
****Day 7**

Hans and Josef were dropped off on a dirt road about three miles outside of Düsseldorf. The underground could not bring them any closer than that. They were given last minute instructions and wishes of good luck before the underground men drove away. To look like they had jumped from the truck, the two boys smeared dirt over their HJ uniforms and Josef went so far as to drag a rock across his shin, creating a convincing scrape. As prepared as they were ever going to be, the two boys began to walk the darkened road, the shining moon above them providing the only light.

It wasn't long before a Gestapo patrol spotted them, a mile outside of Düsseldorf. The boys were promptly picked up and brought to Gestapo Headquarters, arriving the same time the group from Stalag 13 was leaving. Hogan had to stop himself from doing a double take, as the two boys were led down the hall past him. What had happened? he wondered. He saw their HJ uniforms were soiled so he figured they must have jumped from the truck. Fritz had said the HJ kids gave him pause, but Miller was sure all of them would go. _Damn! This is what I was hoping to avoid!_

Now these two kids were in Gestapo custody. They were HJ therefore, Hogan concluded, they would tell everything they could, being good little Hitler Youth brats that they were. _They'll ruin everything!_

He wondered where they were picked up. Probably the same road used to get Miller out. Meaning the Gestapo would be on that in no time, they'd find him and the rest of the band and Fritz and the underground and....

"Damn," Hogan said softly as he and his men exited Gestapo Headquarters. At Schultz's command they climbed into the back of the camp truck and settled in for the ride back to Stalag 13.

"Colonel?" Carter whispered. "Weren't those two kids in the band?"

"Yeah...and I have a bad feeling they might betray everything."

**Soligen, ****Germany**

Wilhelmina had prepared a grand dinner of pork chops, steamed carrots, cole slaw and dinner rolls. She ushered everyone into the large dining room and with help from Fritz and Emery, served her guests. The meal was enjoyed immensely by all, and everyone had seconds of something. The atmosphere was homey with the fire going in the fireplace and the placement of candles on the table. There was the continued feeling of safety and security. Major Miller looked around the table occasionally, as the kids chatted amongst themselves, seeing they were at ease.

"Wilhelmina," Fritz said, when everyone had finished their second helpings. "_You really didn't have to go to all this trouble. Simple rations would have done fine_."

"_Nonsense!__ You have a long journey ahead of you tomorrow and you must eat well so that you have strength. Besides, all of these boys look like they could use a good home cooked meal. And him_," she pointed to Miller, "_looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks. Don't the Americans feed their soldiers?_"

Miller looked up when Wilhelmina pointed to him. Fritz chuckled and looked at Miller. "She wants to know if your American army feeds you."

"Yes, but not like this," Miller replied with a smile.

Wilhelmina laughed. "Oh it has been long time, since I have so many good looking men at my table. And all hungry too." She stood up and started to collect the dishes. A couple of the kids and Miller himself stood up to help.

"Nein, nein," Wilhelmina said. She smiled at the boys and Miller. "You are guests," she told them. "However, these two..." she looked at Fritz and Emery, "are more than capable of helping. Come..."

Fritz and Emery smirked at one another and stood up to assist Wilhelmina with the dishes.

Ahren looked at Miller. "Herr Miller? What will happen to us once we get to England?"

Miller paused. He wasn't a hundred percent sure. "I believe you'll be considered refugees and they'll try to match you with families in England, or the United States."

"Families?"

Miller nodded and looked at Ahren. The young German boy nodded and his gaze drifted away from Miller. _A family..._ The thought scared him and gave him hope at the same time. He wondered what the family would be like, where they lived, who they were Suddenly the fifteen year old had a sense of a future. There was uncertainty, which was natural and had always been, but the uncertainty now was more in wondering where he would be and who he would become, instead of wondering if he would live or die.

With the dinner dishes cleared away, Wilhelmina served an apple tart for dessert. After that, she invited the boys and Miller to adjourn to the living room where they could sit and relax for a bit. Miller stood back near the entryway as the boys settled into the room surrounded by bookshelves with several books. He lit a cigarette and watched the kids, some checking out the book titles, others sitting and quietly talking amongst themselves, while a couple of the boys checked out the phonograph player in the corner, pouring over the cylinders and 78's that were stacked near it.

Miller stepped into the room and looked down at a small table near the window. On it were several photographs of young men, dressed in German army uniforms, looking proud and brave. He noticed Wilhelmina in a few of them.

Fritz came up to Miller, seeing the Major looking at the photos. "Those are her sons."

"I guessed that," Miller replied. "How many does she have?"

"Six. All of them serving in the Heer."

Miller paused a moment and then looked at Fritz. "How can she help the Underground when her six sons are fighting in the German Army?"

"Because," Wilhelmina spoke as she approached from the doorway, "it will help end the war sooner. And those of my sons who are still alive, can return home."

Miller looked at her with apology. "I didn't mean to sound callous."

"Callous?"

"Insensitive."

Wilhelmina shook her head. "I am not offended. It is an acceptable question. You see Herr Miller, two of my sons have been killed. One is missing. One is still with his unit and the last two....were captured. This may sound odd to you, but I thank God every day that they were captured because I hear from them and I know they are alive and that they are being treated well and when the war is over they will come home. And I also thank God every day that the one who is still with his unit has had the good fortune to remain alive. And I pray to God every day that the one who is missing, will come home alive. That....is how I can help the Underground."

**Stalag 13**

When everyone returned to Stalag 13, Hogan was immediately summoned to Klink's office. Kinch went ahead and radioed to London.

"Papa Bear calling Mama Bear. Papa Bear calling Mama Bear. Come in Mama Bear."

"This is Mama Bear. Go ahead Papa Bear."

"Bluebird is on his way and he's bringing the flock with him. Repeat, Bluebird is on his way and he's bringing the flock with him. Have Goldilocks waiting on her park bench tomorrow evening if she wants to see the birds..."

"How many in the flock, Papa Bear?"

"Less than ten total, counting Bluebird."

"Acknowledged, Papa Bear. Well done."

"Papa Bear out."

---

"Hogan," Klink said, the agitation clear in his voice, "you _promised_ me that you and your men would behave at the radio station this evening."

"Actually, what I said was that we wouldn't act any worse than we ever have here. And given that, how we acted at the radio station was pretty tame compared to here."

"Hogan!" Klink slapped his hand down on the desk. "You caused the Propaganda Ministry's recording of Major Miller to break, your men managed to spoil every photograph the Ministry photographer attempted to take and then you and your men along with the rest of the band played the most horrific noise I've ever heard!"

"Well, now the record was an accident, the photographs were just bad timing and like I said to Major Hochstetter, Major Miller told us to play awful."

Klink stood up from his desk and paced around it. "It was a disaster," he said, coming to pause in the middle of his office. "And the transmitter....I don't know how that could have caught fire like it did."

"Well, we have a saying back home about some shows being a real barn burner. This is the first time I've ever seen a performance actually burn a barn." Hogan chuckled. "Or in this case a radio station."

"Hogan, it's not funny!" Klink said, turning to face the senior POW officer. "The Propaganda Ministry, the Gestapo, and General Burkhalter are embarrassed and irate by what took place! I have no choice but to punish you and your men for your roles in the events. I am revoking all the special privileges that would have been earned and am revoking _all privileges_ for the five of you for the next 30 days. You and your men will be confined to barracks for that same time and you will come out only for roll call."

"There goes the volleyball tournament." Hogan shook his head. "Newkirk and LeBeau are going to be extremely disappointed, sir."

"Of course. They are being punished. Truthfully, Hogan, you're lucky I'm not throwing the five of you into the cooler for 30 days."

This was true, and Hogan was thankful for that. He looked at Klink, curious. "Why is that?"

Klink walked back to his desk. "Because, during the chaotic moments at the radio station you and your men did not attempt to escape, when you probably could have. For that, I am thankful. Not only because my no escape record remains intact but also..." Klink's voice dropped to somber, "Major Hochstetter's men would have killed all of you." The Kommandant sat down at his desk.

That was true too and Hogan took a deep breath. Thing was, now Hochstetter's men were looking for Major Miller and were planning the same fate. Hogan hid this concern though and smiled at Klink. "Are you saying you would have missed us?"

"_Hogan..._" Klink leaned forward. "Major Hochstetter is _furious_ by what happened at the radio station. You heard him say that Major Miller will be shot when he's found. Whether he escaped or was taken by other factions as you suggested, they will _kill him_, regardless." Klink leaned back a little. "I only hope that when you warned him about the danger of what he was doing, that he truly heeded your words."

Hogan glanced at his crush cap that he held in hand, as Major Miller's words came back to him. _I don't consider myself much of a soldier...but I am a patriot. There's more at stake here than just my life, Colonel. You understand what I mean?_

Never taking his eyes off the cap, Hogan spoke, "I know he did."


	3. Different Routes, Different Disguises

**Gestapo Headquarters  
****Düsseldorf, ****Germany  
****Day 7**

Per their instructions from the underground agents, Hans and Josef told the Gestapo what the Gestapo thought it wanted to hear.

"Nein, nein," Hans was saying to his interrogator. "_We jumped from the truck to escape."_ He paused, appearing to suddenly realize something and looked at the Gestapo officer. _"You mean those men that marched us out of the studio, weren't taking us to be punished because of what happened with the broadcast?"_

"Nein,_ we think it was a part of an escape plot to get Major Miller out of __Germany__. Although the actions of you and the others during the broadcast were not becoming of an HJ member."_

Hans nodded shamefully. _"I know. I have failed the Fatherland." _He hung his head.

_"Perhaps not completely.__ You and Josef could help us. If we can get a track on where that truck went, your redemption to the Fatherland could go a long way and the unfortunate display of immaturity at the radio station could be overlooked as simply a young man's prank."_

Hans looked up, hopeful. He nodded earnestly. "Ja, _I will help_."

The Gestapo man smiled. "Gute."

**Soligen, ****Germany**

It was ten-thirty when the dinner dishes had been cleaned and put away and Wilhelmina, Emery and Fritz went about settling the boys in for the night. The many rooms in the upstairs of the farm house provided plenty of space for the seven boys who were paired two or three to a room. Wilhelmina had extra blankets and pillows for those boys who had to make due with sleeping on the floor of whatever particular room they were in. Major Miller, Emery and Fritz each had a room of their own.

With the boys settled in, Fritz and Emery paid Miller a visit. Emery carried with him a small suitcase. They were both still dressed in their Gestapo uniforms. Emery placed the suitcase down on a chair near the three drawer dresser with vanity mirror. Fritz looked at Major Miller and gestured for him to have a seat in the other chair near the dresser.

As Emery went through the suitcase, Fritz pulled the two photographs he had of Glenn Miller, civilian bandleader and Glenn Miller, US Army officer. He placed them down on top of the dresser and then turned to Miller.

"How well can you see without your glasses?"

Miller shook his head. "I can hardly see at all."

Fritz nodded. "Despite that, we're going have you remove your glasses for the identity card picture, and then at every checkpoint we come upon during the travel north, you will have to remove your glasses." He picked up the civilian photograph again and compared the man in the picture to the man who sat before him. Emery stopped what he was doing and looked too.

Miller looked back and forth between the two, feeling something like a patient being given a critical review by two doctors. To help though, he removed his glasses.

"Hmmm..." Emery said. "A mustache is really the best I can come up with. We can comb his hair different. I can not do anything more complicated than that, as we will not have much time in the morning, and any makeup we put on him would have to be touched up frequently." Emery turned back to this suitcase of tricks.

Miller raised an eyebrow. "Makeup?"

Fritz chuckled. "Stage makeup. Emery used to do work in the theatre with costumes and makeup."

"Ah. For a minute there I thought you were going to put lipstick and eye shadow on me, in which case I'll keep my own face thank you." He put his glasses back on.

Fritz and Emery both laughed. Fritz put the photograph back down on the dresser and stepped aside for Emery to do his work.

Several different mustache styles were laid out on top of the dresser. "You have been in films, ja?" Emery asked turning to Miller.

"Yes, two."

"Then you know something of the kind of makeup I speak of."

Miller chuckled. "Yes. Though that makeup made us all look a little green..."

Emery smiled. "Ja, because of the black and white film." He held one of the mustaches up just below Miller's nose. "But the makeup I was considering here would make you look like a completely different person. The problem with it however, is it would wear off easily." Another mustache was tried.

Miller looked at the mustaches on the dresser top as Emery picked another one. "Don't give me one of those damn Hitler mustaches."

Emery snorted. "None of the kind."

While Emery was doing his thing, Fritz was preparing fresh film for the camera and getting together the materials to finish the forged papers and identity card for Major Miller. Fritz and Emery's own were done and ready, their papers identifying them as Gestapo officers. Miller's papers identified him as Gestapo as well, which would be much to his chagrin once he found out.

Although Fritz and Emery both understood Miller's reluctance to wear a Gestapo uniform, the Gestapo cover was the best they could do, especially with the kids traveling with them. Their bluff through the checkpoints would be that they had "found" the kids, who had escaped from whatever nearby work camp, and were heading to the nearest Gestapo headquarters to turn them in. The Gestapo had no idea what Fritz and Emery looked like and thus no soldier at a checkpoint would think twice about them being the ones actually helping the kids to escape. Miller, however, was too easily recognizable in civilian attire as himself, making the slight change to his appearance necessary. With identity papers stating he was Gestapo as well, no soldier would take the time to look very closely at him, making the identity papers themselves the most effective part of the disguise. To be Gestapo was to nearly be invisible.

Once Emery found a satisfactory mustache style, the fake whiskers were affixed temporarily to Major Miller's face. Miller combed his hair back differently, removed his glassesand Fritz then snapped several photos to be picked from for the identity card. Thirty minutes later, the Gestapo Soldbuch was completed with photo, official stamp and forged signature, provided by Fritz. Major Alton Glenn Miller now had the identity of Captain Claus Maynard.

With their task finished, Fritz and Emery packed their materials and bid Miller goodnight. Miller looked at the forged Soldbuch again, not particularly caring for the photograph. He then shrugged to himself before placing the Soldbuch in the pocket of his overcoat that lay across the foot of the bed.

He hoped everything would work out

**Düsseldorf, ****Germany**

Hans and Josef traced out on a map their route from the point they had "escaped" from the truck. Starting with the road they had been picked up on, the boys traced a route southwest of Düsseldorf as they had been instructed by the Underground, leading the Gestapo away from the direction Major Miller and the rest of the band had gone. The Gestapo then took off like a group of volunteer firemen, organizing several search teams complete with dogs and search lights and with Major Hochstetter at the helm.

They would search most of the night, checking wooded areas, nearby farm houses, occupied or otherwise, and any barns or out buildings. The dogs sniffed around aimlessly, failing to find any trace of a trail, but relentless nonetheless. And Hochstetter was relentless in the search and pursuit, barking orders to his troops to keep looking, to check everything, to shine the search lights over every inch and in every corner.

Despite every empty barn they found, every undisturbed patch of woods, Hochstetter knew Miller was out there somewhere and the Gestapo Major vowed to leave no stone unturned.


	4. Sleepless

**Soligen, ****Germany  
****Day 7**

As the clock inched toward midnight, the old farm house had settled in quiet slumber. The boys were all fast asleep. Fritz and Emery were sound asleep too, after they had had a little meeting between themselves discussing some last minute details of the impending trip north and checking over a map with their route and alternatives. Wilhelmina was the last to turn in for the night, stopping by each room to check on her guests, seeing that each, still dressed in their civilian clothes, were fast asleep.

Each except for Major Miller. Wilhelmina couldn't tell that he was still awake though as he was lying on the bed, still in his civilian clothes, facing away from the doorway. But he saw the glow of the oil lamp reflected on the wall above him and then it faded as Wilhelmina made her way to the next room.

He was trying to sleep, Lord knew. But sleep just wasn't interested in paying him a visit. The concern for the safety of the kids and the uncertainty of what awaited them come morning was slowing creeping its way back into the forefront of his thoughts. He stared at the darkness in front of him and found nothing to ease the worry. Time ticked by. Restless, he sat up and found the heavy overcoat at the end of the bed. From the pocket he retrieved his Zippo lighter and flipped it open. He then retrieved his glasses off the night stand and with sight returned, read the time on the clock. It was five minutes to two.

It was useless by this point. They would be leaving in less than three hours and if he managed to fall asleep between now and then, it would probably be ten minutes before they would all have to get up and he'd only end up lethargic at best once they got on the road. What he was going to do to occupy his time for the next three hours, he didn't know, but he knew he couldn't lay there staring at the darkness.

So he got up and with the light from the Zippo, found his way to the door. The farm house was quiet and the floor creaked lightly as he stepped out into the hall. He moved quietly toward the stairs and descended them slowly, stopping every few steps at each creak in the wood. He'd have never made it as cat burglar.

Finally, at the bottom of the stairs, he paused and let the flame from the Zippo go out for a moment. The metal cigarette lighter was starting to become hot. After a moment, he realized that moonlight was shining through the windows. With all the lights in the house turned out, the blackout coverings had been pulled opened. With the moonlight, Miller recognized he was just a few short steps from the large living room with its two bookshelves lined with books and the phonograph player set up in the corner. He had noticed earlier the stack of 78's and even some older shellac cylinders that were on the shelf of the cabinet just below the phonograph player. Curiosity had tugged at him, not so much about the 78's, but the cylinders. Hardly anybody had the means to play those things anymore.

He walked into the living room and saw an oil lamp on the table next to the settee. He lifted the glass of the lamp and with the flame from the Zippo, lit the glow for the lamp. The Zippo was then extinguished and pocketed and the light from the lamp lent an old fashioned warmth to the room. Conscious of the heavy drapes on the windows, and their purpose, Miller went to each of the four windows of the living room and pulled the drapes closed.

He paused a moment when he finished and looked toward the stairs. He was trying to stay quiet and hoped he hadn't disturbed anyone. From this point on, he would be as quiet as a mouse, occupying himself with the books on the bookshelves. He wasn't expecting to find any English language books, but he would make do with whatever he found. Anything to pass the time.

To his luck, and consolation, he did find an English language book. The Bible. Actually, there were two bibles, the other in German. Miller took the English bible and settled on the settee with it. No matter how many times he read passages, no matter that he had several practically memorized, no matter that book itself didn't change...he always found something new in it. And solace. There was a passage, a story, a quote, something that always seemed appropriate for whatever the situation was, that spoke to the hope and the fear and offered something for strength and peace.

It was a little while later when Miller heard the creak of the stairs. He looked up and saw Wilhelmina was standing on one of the last few of the steps, an oil lamp in her hand. She was looking at him, surprised to see him sitting there.

"Herr Miller?" she said quietly, stepping off the last step of the stairs. She walked into the living room. "What are you doing up? You should be getting some sleep."

"I know, but I couldn't." He closed the bible, keeping a finger at the page he had been on for a place holder. "Too much on my mind, I guess."

Wilhelmina nodded and eyed the book in Miller's hand. "A good book for when there is much on your mind."

Miller smiled, looking at the bible in hand. "Yes, it is."

Wilhelmina placed her oil lamp down on the coffee table and sat down in one of the chairs, opposite of the settee. "You worry for the young boys," she said. "It will be a long journey to the coast. It will take you all day to get there."

Miller nodded. "That's what Fritz and Emery told me. A lot could happen on the way."

"Ja, but Fritz and Emery, they have done this many times. They know this part of Germany and the route to the coast better than anyone. You have the two best men in the Underground taking you there."

Miller nodded. "I believe that."

Wilhelmina looked at the American for a moment. Suddenly, she was curious. "Do you have children, Herr Miller?"

Miller was quiet a moment as he looked at a far corner of the coffee table. "I have two," he said softly.

She was right. She had a hunch about something else too. "You miss them," she stated.

He didn't answer immediately because he was there. Back home. There was a little boy he hadn't even seen yet. There was the little girl he hadn't seen in almost five months. For a very brief moment he was there.

And then it was gone and he was back to the reality of being in a farm house in Germany at two-thirty in the morning. He looked at Wilhelmina and one word spoke of how much he missed his family. "Terribly."

Wilhelmina nodded with understanding. "Of course. But you will be back with them before too long. Just as my sons, those that remain will return home." She stood up now, picking up her oil lamp. "You should get some rest," she said.

"I know...I'll try."

She nodded and paused, looking at the Bible Miller held in hand. "Things will be very busy when you leave in a few hours. Remember the Lord's gift of peace as told by John. 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid...'"

Miller nodded to her in appreciation. Then, as she turned to walk back to the stairs, he opened the bible to the page he had been holding, reading the words of the very passage Wilhelmina had just spoken.

**Grevenbroich, ****Germany  
****November, 1944  
****Day 8**

When the dawn started to break over the horizon, the skeletal remains of a burned out Gestapo truck were found just a few miles outside of Grevenbroich, a town fifteen miles southwest of Düsseldorf. The truck, left at the side of a road that saw little traffic and had nary a house nearby, had apparently burned unnoticed during the night. By the time it was discovered by the Gestapo, it was nothing more than a smoldering hunk of metal, whatever smoke was still lifting from it blended in with the surrounding morning fog.

Major Hochstetter stood in the road, watching as his men combed through the remains of the truck. The search dogs sniffed around the area, but were losing focus and he could hear the frustrated commands from the handlers. It had been a long night and a fresh team of dogs, and soldiers, would have to be called in.

Hochstetter himself was tired too but he wouldn't admit it. The discovery of the truck bolstered him, when most would have figured the trail to be cold at this point. He knew there were only two directions Major Miller could be headed. South, to Switzerland or possibly France, or north to the sea. Hochstetter also knew that the location of this truck and its destroyed state was an attempt to throw him off the trail. But he knew better, and with the resources of the Gestapo at his disposal he would search south towards Switzerland, France _and_ north to the sea. There was no other direction the American could have gone.

Considering his new plan of action, Hochstetter was about to call off the search dogs and order everyone back to Düsseldorf, when one of the soldiers searching the truck, came over to him.

"Herr Major..." He held in his hand what looked to be brass buttons, four of them. Hochstetter picked one up and studied it. It was not like any buttons used on German uniforms.

"Hmmm...." Hochstetter pondered.

"We found what looks like the remains of an HJ uniform as well. But there does not seem to be any human remains in the truck..."

"Nein, and there would not be," Hochstetter said. "The American has abandoned his uniform, possibly for civilian attire." He put the button back in the soldier's hand. "Tell Hauptmann Slieger to call off the search dogs and have everyone meet back in Düsseldorf. I have an idea of which direction the American may be heading and we will assemble new search teams for the task."

"Jawohl, Major." The soldier saluted and turned sharply to pass on the orders.


	5. Early Morning Start

**Soligen****Germany**

**November, 1944**

**Day 8**

In the same early dawn light and rolling fog that was covering Grevenbroich, two inconspicuous black sedans drove deliberately down the empty dirt road leading to Wilhelmina's vast farmstead. The two cars drove up the drive to the farmstead and headed directly toward the large barn, driving around to the backside of the building.

Fritz and Emery were waiting. There was little exchange of small talk, just the exchange of vehicle keys. The two men then went into the barn with Fritz and Emery. The large barn doors were opened and the two men drove away in Fritz's panel truck.

With the arrival of the two cars, Wilhelmina led everyone from the house to the barn, where they would be divided up between Fritz and Emery. She packed extra rations of food and water, knowing they would not have the opportunity or the time to stop and eat anywhere along the way, and these were placed in the trunks of each vehicle. The group was then divided up between Emery and Fritz. Avril, Johann, Oskar and Roderick would travel with Emery. Ahren, Adler, Erik and Major Miller would travel with Fritz.

Major Miller sported his new moustache, and different comb but Emery had decided against any other kind of makeup. Touch ups would have to be done frequently and it would just be too much of a hassle. As it was, Miller was hardly recognizable, especially once he removed his glasses. The moustache, which got a giggle from the kids, was, however, turning out to be a little irritating to him. He poked at it, not quite trusting that the darn thing was going to stay put and he glanced at Fritz and Emery. "This thing's going to drive me nuts."

The two men chuckled. "Leave it alone," Emery said. "It just takes some getting used to."

"Hmm," Miller agreed. "Hopefully I won't sneeze the wrong way."

The goodbyes to Wilhelmina were kept short. The boys piled into the cars but Major Miller hesitated. He looked at Wilhelmina.

"Remember," she said. "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

"We won't," he said. "Thank you again for all you've done."

Wilhelmina nodded. "Go," she said gently.

Major Miller turned slowly, put his grey fedora hat on and walked to the passenger door of Fritz's car. He was the last one to get in. The two cars then started and Emery pulled out of the barn first. Through the back window of both cars, the young boys waved to Wilhelmina. She waved back, until the two cars were at the end of the drive and turning onto the road. As they disappeared into the early morning fog, Wilhelmina pulled the large barn doors shut.

**Stalag 13**

**Day 8**

After the morning roll call, Hogan and his men returned their barracks. LeBeau made up a list of items he needed from the kitchen and the canteen and sent one of the other prisoners from the barracks out to get them. Although confined to barracks, LeBeau would not let his comrades go hungry. He actually greeted the upcoming thirty day stay in the barracks with reprieve, as he would not have to be subjected to the bland German food of the prison camp. Instead, he could make the simple, and better tasting, French dishes and they would be better fed in the next thirty days than the rest of the camp.

Kinch, meanwhile, was checking in with the Underground. Colonel Hogan stood right next to Kinch as the coded message came through. Kinch was scribbling quickly on his note pad and when the Underground finished transmitting he transmitted a quick acknowledgement and then looked at Colonel Hogan.

"We don't have to worry about those two kids we saw last night." Kinch looked at the message he scribbled. "They couldn't make the trip but provided diversion. Led the hunting dogs to another trail... Grevenbroich." He handed the pad of paper to the Colonel.

Hogan looked at it and nodded, relieved. "That's good," he said. "I had my doubts though. Thought for sure they had balked at making the trip and were going to lead the Gestapo straight to Major Miller." Hogan paused. "Do we know why they didn't go?"

Kinch shook his head. "The Underground didn't elaborate. But we do know that Major Miller made it out of Düsseldorf and to Soligen, and should be on his way north right now."

Hogan nodded and handed the pad back to Kinch. He then looked at his watch. "He should make to Wilhelmshaven by tonight, in time to meet up with Goldilocks." Hogan paused again and looked at Kinch. "Grevenbroich, that's southwest of Düsseldorf isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Hochstetter is going to figure Miller went in one of two directions. South to France, or north to the coast. That diversion those two kids provided should make Hochstetter think Miller's heading toward France and he'll concentrate his search that way. That should give Fritz and Emery clear sailing to the coast."

"What if Hochstetter figures out they're heading to the coast?"

"If the diversion in Grevenbroich lasts long enough, it should be too late for Hochstetter to catch up once he figures it out. All the same though, the Underground should keep an eye on Hochstetter. We've all known him too long to know that he never does what we think he's going to do."

**Remscheid****Germany**

From Soligen the two black sedans headed east on different, yet parallel, routes toward Remscheid, literally the next town over. From there they would continue eastward, gradually looping around at Werdohl to head north. This route was chosen in order to avoid the congestion of the cluster of cities between Düsseldorf, Essen, Bochum and Herne. The more populated the cities and surrounding towns, the more checkpoints one had to pass through and the more chance there was of being found out.

The two cars traveled parallel to also avoid the chance of being found out. The plan was that for every so many miles, the two cars would meet up as a check to make sure the others were all okay and then split up again until the next meeting point.

Fritz explained this all to Major Miller as they drove on through the fog heading toward Remscheid.

"Do you expect we'll run into much trouble?" Miller asked.

"I will be honest with you Herr Miller, I always expect to run into trouble." Fritz glanced at the bandleader and smiled. "That is how I have been able to be successful at what I do."

Miller chuckled softly and nodded. "Always assume the worst. Then there are never any surprises."

"Ja. I would like to think that having done this so much that I should expect less trouble. But no two escapes are truly the same. Therefore, each escape is always like it's the very first time I have done this." Fritz chuckled. "Of course, I have learned many lessons from these many escapes. But each one always has something new that I haven't encountered before."

The sun was starting to burn off some of the fog when Fritz and Miller reached their first checkpoint. Miller removed his glasses and slipped them into the inside pocket of his overcoat, seeing nothing now but a blur out the front windshield.

Fritz slowed the car as he approached the barricade and one of the two soldiers came over from the guard hut. He paused a moment to look into the car, looking at Fritz, Miller and the three kids in the backseat. He then looked back at Fritz. "Heil Hitler. Papier?"

"Heil Hiltler..." Fritz said blandly. Miller handed his Soldbuch to Fritz who handed both Soldbuchs to the soldier. The soldier looked at Miller's first and peered into the car comparing the man sitting in the passenger seat to the photo in the Soldbuch. Satisfied with the identity, the soldier then gave Fritz the once over. With the identity check completed, the Soldbuch's were handed back.

"Danke, Major, Hauptmann." The soldier gestured to the kids in the back seat. "Hilter Jugendrekruten?" he asked with a smirk. _Hitler Youth recruits?_

"Nein. Delinquents, entgangen von einem Arbeit Lager nahe Opladen. Ein Landwirt fand sie in seinem Stall gestern Abend. Wir nehmen sie zu den Gestapo Headquarters in aufgehoben zu werden und Remscheid, zurück zu dem Lager genommen worden." _No. Delinquents, escaped from a work camp near Opladen. A farmer found them in his barn last night. We are taking them to Gestapo headquarters in __Remscheid__ to be picked up and taken back to the camp_."

The soldier nodded. "Die ist eine Schande," he said. "Die Armee benötigt mehr Soldaten." _That's a shame. The army needs more soldiers_. He waved to his comrade to lift the barricade.

Fritz gave a shrug. "Es gibt immer possibility das." _There's always that possibility_.

The soldier smiled and gave a salute. "Heil Hitler."

Fritz raises his hand up. "Heil Hitler..." The car moved forward past the barricade.

Once they were out of sight of the checkpoint, Miller dug out his glasses and put them back on. "What the hell was all that?"

Fritz chuckled. "Merely using our cover. That the kids here had escaped from a work camp near Opladen and were found locally and that we are taking them to Gestapo headquarters to be picked up and taken back to camp."

"You know I thought of something. What if some soldier at some checkpoint tries to talk to me?"

"They won't."

"You sure?"

Fritz nodded. "I will be doing all of the speaking as I am the ranking officer between the two of us. There would be no need for them to speak to you."

Miller gave a quiet sigh of relief. "Good. By the way, I think you should get a promotion. Then they can ignore me all together."

Fritz laughed.


	6. A False Trail

**Gestapo Headquarters  
****Düsseldorf, ****Germany  
****Day 8**

Major Hochstetter and several of his soldiers were gathered in a situation room at Gestapo Headquarters, a map of Germany and its remaining western occupied territories spread out on a table. The time was a little after eight in the morning, and all of the troops except Hochstetter were fresh men. Yet out of all them, Hochstetter seemed to have the most energy. There was a short open discussion on the possible direction the escapees could have taken and during this Hochstetter paced around the room.

"They must be heading south," one Gestapo agent said. He pointed to Grevenbroich on the map. "They could follow the West Wall, possibly to find a weak place and enter into France at Alsace-Lorraine, or they could go directly to Switzerland."

"Or," Hochstetter said, "they could pivot and head north to the sea."

"Back through Düsseldorf?"

"Nein...probably these roads through the less populated areas." Hochstetter circled to the front of the table and pointed on the map, tracing a route westward around the populated areas of Düsseldorf and it's surrounding towns and swinging north, a route nearly identical to the one Fritz and Emery were using. "Every one of us in this room knows there are only two directions the American and the delinquent youths could be heading. Which is why I propose concentrating the search in both directions. South, along the West Wall down to Alsace-Lorraine and to the Swiss border, the other north, to the port towns and along the coast.

"I want to coordinate with the regional commanders for the Gestapo and the SS in the search areas and use road blocks, checkpoints, and for them to question townspeople in the various towns where the Underground presence is strong. There is no doubt the American is being assisted. I also want to coordinate with the Army, as they too have checkpoints and road blocks that the American might try to pass through." Hochstetter paused and picked up a folder that was on the edge of the table. He pulled out two photographs, both of Glenn Miller, one civilian, one military and put them atop the map. "We have determined that Herr Miller has abandoned his uniform and is more than likely in civilian attire. It is also possible that he is disguised in other ways somehow, be it a wig, moustache, beard, what have you. I am having duplicates of both of these photos made up and I want them distributed to every Gestapo, SS and Army soldier in the search areas."

Hochstetter paused as the two photos were passed around the table. "Herr Miller does not speak much German, therefore he has to be traveling with someone from the Underground and it will be the person from the Underground that is doing all of the talking. I want every checkpoint guard, Gestapo, SS or Army to be on the look out for any groups trying to pass through that consist of several youths, in civilian attire, perhaps being passed as Hitler Youth recruits, delinquents, captured Underground members or as escapees from work camps, and one or more adults, who may be posing as Gestapo, Army or as Hitler Youth elders. I want the checkpoint guards to thoroughly check all identification papers and to thoroughly question any and all adults." Hochstetter snorted. "Herr Miller's lack of understanding of the German tongue will be spotted immediately.

"Remember also, this man has escaped from the custody of the Gestapo. He also is responsible for the humiliating events that took place at the Düsseldorf Radio Station yesterday, ruining the Propaganda Ministry's broadcast to the youth of Germany. As such, the American has incurred the wrath of our Fuehrer, who was listening at the time and has been made aware of what took place."

"Then your order still stands?" another Gestapo soldier asked.

Hochstetter nodded. "It does. Make sure that is passed on to the regional Gestapo commanders and Army division commanders." Hochstetter looked at the faces that surrounded the table and spoke evenly. "The American will not get away with what he has done..."

**  
Munster, ****Germany**

After three and half hours of driving, and passing through four loosely guarded checkpoints, Fritz pulled the sedan off to the side of the road to wait for Emery. They were just south of the town of Munster and nearly at the half way mark of the trip. The somewhat laize-faire interest of the checkpoint guards they had met up with thus far indicated at least one of two things; that word of Major Miller's escape had not spread yet, or any word of the escape was spreading slowly. Certainly news and orders issued would take longest to reach those soldiers who manned the checkpoints and outposts that were out in the sticks. This was why Fritz stuck to the back roads as much as he could, traveling on any main roadways only when there was no back road that sufficed.

For his part, Major Miller had kept an eye on the horizon and spoke to the boys in back, in an effort to keep their thoughts off the fact that they were all on the run from the Gestapo. The boys asked Miller what life was like back in America, what he did when he was their age and so forth. What was uncanny was that the countryside they had driven through thus far, with the corn stalks dead in the fields, the occasional farmstead with animals roaming in pastures and the dirt roads, all reminded Major Miller of the Middle America he'd grown up in, between Iowa and Colorado. Somewhere back there was a fifteen-year-old kid, trombone in hand, going off by himself for hours blowing on that horn, in between school and chores.

Miller chuckled to himself, thinking back as he stood outside of the car, smoking a cigarette. Sometimes it seemed like so long ago, other times it seemed like it was just yesterday.

Miller's thoughts returned to the present when Emery arrived, and he too reported that he had passed through checkpoints without any problem. Although both Fritz and Emery were grateful for the good fortune thus far, they knew better than to take anything for granted. After a very quick conference and a check of the map, the two sedans were back on the road again. They would meet again not far from the small town Bersenbruck.

Or so they hoped.

**  
Stalag 13**

Colonel Hogan and his men got their second look at the sun that day at the noontime roll call. It would be short lived though. Once Schultz finished the count and reported to the Kommandant that all were present and accounted for the prisoners were then dismissed. There was no speech, no words of wisdom from Klink. Hogan was disappointed. After being cooped up in the barracks all morning, Klink's rambling would have given them all a few minutes to enjoy the outside, despite the cold November air. But the sun was bright and there was something rejuvenating about crisp air and sunshine upon the cheeks.

But they would get no more of it. Schultz shooed them back inside and the barracks door was closed. Hogan let out a sigh and turned to LeBeau who stood at the woodstove, a pot of water just starting to boil.

"What's for lunch, Louie?"

"Soup, Colonel. But instead of just bullion I've sent Carter over to the kitchen to collect some beef and vegetables."

Hogan nodded. "Sounds good. It's a good day for soup."

"_Oui_, the German winter is coming..." LeBeau rubbed his hands together in emphasis.

_Again,_ Hogan thought. And the war was still going on. And another Thanksgiving and another Christmas would probably be spent at Stalag 13. Hogan tried not to think about that and instead looked at his watch. He figured Major Miller to be half way through his trip by now.

"Game of twenty-one, guv'nor?" Newkirk asked, noting Hogan's restlessness. He held the cards up in invitation. "To pass the time..."

Before Hogan could answer, the bunk that concealed the entrance to the tunnel suddenly clattered open. This got everyone's attention, as there wasn't supposed to be anyone down there to begin with. Kinch, being closest to the bunk, looked down to see what was going on. Staring back up at him was Maurice Dubois.

"Colonel Hogan," the French airman said.

Hogan was already beside Kinch. "Dubois, what are you doing down there?"

"Colonel, I must speak with you. Urgently."

"Watch the door fellas," Hogan said. He stepped onto the ladder and climbed down into the tunnel. When he stepped off the last rung, the ladder swept back up and the bunk closed.

Hogan turned to Dubois. "What's going on?"

"Colonel, the Underground in Düsseldorf have gone into radio silence. The Gestapo are heavily patrolling the area and are asking questions about your bandleader and the youths..." Maurice reached into his coat and pulled out two photographs. "They are passing these around as well." He handed them to Hogan. "One of Brandeis Fritz's sentries got these and he drove to Hammelburg to let us know, to tell you."

Hogan looked at the photos and nodded. "I figured they would pass pictures of him around. But why in Düsseldorf? I thought those two boys put the Gestapo on the trail towards Grevenbroich."

"They did and they did well. The Gestapo found their own truck burned to the ground, just as they were supposed to. But Hochstetter.....he's not concentrating his search to the south only. Gestapo activity has picked up both south, and north of Düsseldorf."

"How far north?"

"We don't know for sure, but it looks like the SS is part of the search too. I would not be surprised if Hochstetter has spread his net out all the way to the coast."

Hogan paled. "The _SS??"_

Dubois nodded.

"And we have no way to warn them..."

"_Non._ When Fritz is in route, he can not be reached. And if he should try to contact any of his troop in Düsseldorf right now, he will receive no response."

Hogan looked at his watch. He then turned and walked to one of the walls of the tunnel where a pull down map of Germany was available. He studied it a moment and Dubois came up beside the Colonel to look too.

"They could be anywhere, _mon__ Colonel._"

"I know. But maybe we can decoy the Gestapo and the SS away from the north. Give the hound dogs a different scent to follow for awhile, giving Fritz a clearer passage to Wilhelmshaven."

Dubois nodded. "We could report false sightings and set up a trail heading south."

"That should work. We better move quickly, as we don't know how far north Hochstetter's net has been cast."


	7. Trouble

**Bersenbruck,****Germany  
****Day 8**

Two hours, and one flat tire later, Fritz's sedan sat slumped to the right at the side of a dirt road just ten miles from Bersenbruck. Miller and Fritz both got out of the car to inspect the tire. Fritz wasn't too concerned; after all they had a spare. He went about taking the spare from the trunk along with the jack and the appropriate tools he would need. It wasn't until he attempted to remove the flat tire from the car that he started to show a little worry.

"Let me try," Miller offered. But the bandleader couldn't get the lug nut loose either. After a few failed attempts, he looked at Fritz.

"I think we're going to be here for awhile..."

**  
Düsseldorf,****Germany**

Within the same two hours, the Underground in Hammelburg had sent coded messages out to other operatives south of Düsseldorf with the instructions to report false sightings of Major Miller and the kids. Those reports were now finding their way to Hochstetter's attention.

The Gestapo Major almost thought he had picked up the trail, but he would wait until he had more definite proof before shuffling his search teams around. Definite proof to the contrary, however, came a little while later, when two reported sightings crossed his desk from district commanders. Hochstetter looked them over and found the details were nothing different from the few reports he had received all ready. He was about to place them aside when something prompted him to look at them again. This time he noticed an inconsistency. The time of the sighting from one town was twenty minutes earlier than the sighting reported in another town. And Hochstetter knew the travel distance between the two towns was over forty minutes.

"The Underground...." Hochstetter concluded out loud, speaking the word like it was vile. There was no other explanation. He knew Miller had to be getting help from the Underground in his escape and it was logical that the resistance fighters would try to persuade the search away from the direction Miller was going. The deflection would have worked except the Underground had gotten sloppy.

All in all, it proved one thing for certain. Major Miller and those kids were _not_ heading south.

Hochstetter picked up his telephone. It was time to start shuffling things around.

**  
Military Checkpoint, north of Hamm, Germany**

Meanwhile, at a checkpoint Fritz and Miller had passed through three hours earlier, two Gestapo officers were questioning the two military guards. Yes, the soldiers had seen a black Gestapo sedan with two adults and three youths in the back. It was the only Gestapo car to pass so far that day. They recalled the names of the two Gestapo officers in the car. They told that the driver had done all of the talking. They described as best they could what both the driver and the passenger looked like. The soldiers were then handed the two photos of Glenn Miller.

The soldiers paused. They concentrated on the civilian photograph. It was hard to tell, they explained. The passenger, the Gestapo Captain, did not wear glasses and had a mustache. It was possible it was the same man, but they were not for certain.

The two questioning Gestapo officers nodded in understanding and thanked the soldiers for their help. As the officers walked back to their car, they glanced at one another. The soldiers may not have been certain, but they were. The American had passed this way.

**  
Bersenbruck, ****Germany**

Thirty minutes after Fritz's sedan pulled up lame with a flat tire, Emery arrived at the checkpoint just north of the town of Bersenbruck. The small clearing, located off a dirt road, was empty. Emery tried to hide his concern, but the kids knew something was wrong.

"Where are the others?" Roderick asked.

Emery shook his head. "I don't know..." He looked through the windshield out at the clearing and to the road. Fritz was supposed to arrive at every checkpoint first. There was the chance that Fritz could have been held up by something. A road damaged from bombing that they hadn't been aware of. Or mechanical trouble. Emery tried to keep his thoughts more along those lines and looked at his watch. He would wait a few minutes.

**  
Düsseldorf, ****Germany**

The situation room Hochstetter had set up at Gestapo Headquarters was a buzz with activity. More reports were still coming in from the southern district commanders, which Hochstetter pretty much ignored. The northern district commanders were reporting that they were shifting their efforts per Hochstetter's instructions and were making contact with the military commanders and checkpoint guards in their areas.

While Fritz and Miller were losing minutes due to the flat tire, the two Gestapo officersinvestigated what the two checkpoint guards had told them. They verified that there had been no escape from any of the surrounding work camps near Hamm, that the two names the supposed Gestapo officers had used were false and that no Gestapo officers within the region were known by any such names. They also verified that no youths had been turned in to the Gestapo either in Hamm or in the next town of Ahlen.

A report was put together quickly and forwarded by wire to Major Hochstetter in Düsseldorf. Marked top priority, it was delivered to him at once.

"Herr Major," the currier said, coming to stand at attention and holding the report out to Hochstetter. "Top priority from Hamm, sir."

Hochstetter took the report and read it quickly. His expression flashed briefly with elation and he turned to the map that was still spread out on the table. He picked out the town of Hamm, checked the time table in the report, looked at his watch and made a ballpark guess at which towns they would be near after three hours. He frowned. They would be in the heart of the oil country, assuming they had made it that far. A popular target for the Allied bombers, there were few passable roads in that region and only the main road way to the town of Clappenburg was kept in repair. From there they could either go east, toward Bremen and eventually north to Bremerhaven, or keep going directly north to Oldenburg and eventually to Wilhelmshaven.

Hochstetter grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and listed the towns he would call special alerts to. The alerts would cover a fifteen mile radius around each town, effectively putting a Gestapo weaved blanket over the entire north west corner of Germany.

**  
Bersenbruck, ****Germany**

With the flat tire finally changed, Major Miller gathered up the car jack and the busted tire into the trunk of the car, while Fritz finished securing the lug nuts on the fresh tire. Once that was complete, Fritz gathered up his tools quickly and hurried to the back of the car, tossing the tools into the trunk with a clang. Major Miller slammed the trunk lid down and the two men got back into the car. Between Miller and Fritz it had taken forty-five minutes to change the flat tire and now they were in race to make it to the coast. And as Fritz threw the transmission into gear and the car sped forward, he knew this was a race he might possibly end up losing...

Just north of Bersenbruck, Emery stood outside of his car and looked at his watch for the hundredth time. He had been waiting almost fifteen minutes and if he was to make it to the coast by night fall he could wait no longer. With a heavy sigh, he turned and opened the door, stepping into the car.

"We are leaving?" Roderick asked.

Emery turned to the four concerned faces in the back seat. "We can not wait any longer," he explained gently. "If we are to get to Wilhelmshaven by tonight, we must go now."

"But...the others? What if something has happened to them?"

"I pray nothing has happened to them," Emery said. "But even if something has, we must continue on. It is not safe for us to remain in one place for too long." Emery turned back forward and started the car. As he pulled back onto the road, the four kids in back all turned to look out the back window hoping to see the other black car in the distance.

**  
Stalag 13**

A little after three in the afternoon, General Burkhalter's staff car arrived, unannounced, through the gates of Stalag 13. Noting the General's arrival, Hogan and his men gathered in the Colonel's quarters around the coffee pot to listen in.

"Major Hochstetter reports that he believes Major Miller is somewhere in the area of Clappenburg," Burkhalter said, after sitting down.

"Clappenburg? There's not much up that way, other than the oil fields which have been bombed to ---"

Burkhalter cleared his throat. "Yes, it is a popular target for the Allied planes. Major Hochstetter has assured me that he should have the American captured within the next few hours. There are more Gestapo and SS men in the area than in all of Berlin right now."

Klink gulped. _That's a lot..._ "Uh, General....is Major Hochstetter's order to shoot the escaped prisoner still in effect?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be? The Fuehrer is most upset by the events that took place at the radio station with the Propaganda Ministry's broadcast. The American has insulted the youth of Germany and all loyal Germans. If Major Hochstetter had not issued the order, the Fuehrer would have!"

_That's what I'm afraid of._ "Of course," Klink concurred.

"You have taken measures to punish the prisoners who were part of the insult, ja?"

"Yes, Herr General. They have been confined to barracks for the next 30 days. All privileges revoked."

"Why not the cooler, Klink?"

Klink looked up at Burkhalter and shook a little under the General's scrutinizing glare. "Uh, well, Herr General, because the men did not attempt to escape during the chaotic moments with the fire, when they most certainly had the opportunity to do so."

"Hrmph," Burkhalter scoffed. "You are too lenient, Klink. However, once Major Hochstetter has captured the American I will see to it that your prisoners be witness to the execution." The General stood up from his chair. "They will learn the price for insulting Germany and her youth."

Hogan yanked the plug out of the coffee pot, not wanting to hear any more. The room was quiet, only for a moment, then Carter looked at the Colonel directly.

"Colonel, we have to do something. _Something._"

"_Oui! _I can not stand sitting here, waiting for the worst!

"What can we do?" Hogan said, looking at his men. "We don't know where they are. We can't contact them. Fritz can't contact his troop in Düsseldorf, they're still on radio silence. We tried decoying the Gestapo and the SS away from the north but obviously that didn't work." Hogan paused. "I don't like sitting here waiting for the worst either, LeBeau....but..." Hogan let his words drift, hating to admit that there was little they could do. More than that, he hated the feeling of helplessness that enveloped him. _This just wasn't supposed to be!_

"What if we went to Clappenburg?" Carter wondered. "Set up our own decoy there."

"How 'r you going to get five Allied POW's into Clappenburg with all those Gestapo and SS troops around?" Newkirk asked. "It's a bloody hornet's nest up there."

"Well, we wouldn't be in uniform...."

"Even in civilian clothes they would be checking us out," Hogan said. "We would have to have the best damn forged papers we could get. Besides that, how do we ensure we get there before Miller does? How do we even know Fritz is heading to Clappenburg? The northern escape route changes every time he takes somebody up that way."

"Well, it wouldn't matter if Major Miller was there or not because we could set up a decoy that would take the heat off of wherever he is," Carter said.

"Assuming the Gestapo or the SS hadn't found him by the time we got there," Kinch said. "It takes a good day's worth of traveling to get north. We would have to go by rail if we were going to make any good time, but even then that only cuts the travel time in half. Major Miller could be captured and executed by the time we got there."

Carter sighed. They couldn't be this helpless, he thought. They just couldn't!


	8. A Near Miss

**Clappenburg, ****Germany  
****Day 8**

While the heroes were feeling helpless at Stalag 13, Emery was just west Clappenburg eyeing a road block from the crest of a hill. From the distance, he couldn't tell if it was a Gestapo roadblock or otherwise and in all honesty he wasn't that particular. He looked at the time on his watch and glanced in the mirror at the kids in back. They had been quiet since Bersenbruck and expectedly so. His own thoughts occasionally tripped along the side of the worst case scenario. If Fritz and Major Miller along with the rest of the kids had already been captured, then there was no mistaking that the Gestapo and anybody helping them would be looking very closely at any cars with any number of youths in it.

Emery picked up his map and traced another road. Although he would lose about ten minutes taking a longer route, he would lose the same amount of time, if not more, by trying to bluff his way through the roadblock. He placed his map down and backed the sedan up, turned around and headed back the other way to pick up the other road.

A little over thirty minutes later, on another route just east of Clappenburg, Fritz slowed the sedan at a military checkpoint. Miller, his glasses removed, handed his Soldbuch to Fritz. The two checkpoint guards assumed positions no different than had been seen at previous checkpoints.

"Heil Hitler," Fritz intoned, bringing his hand up in a casual salute. He handed the Soldbuchs to the waiting soldier.

The soldier looked at each Soldbuch and peered into the car, looking at each man. He glanced in the back seat at the three boys. "Wer sind die Jugend?" the soldier asked, still retaining the Soldbuchs. _Who are the youths, Major?_

Fritz gave his same answer, that the boys were delinquents escaped from a nearby work camp, found by a farmer and being taken to the nearest Gestapo office.

The soldier merely nodded, still studying the Soldbuchs. "Würden Sie aus dem Auto heraus treten, Major?" the soldier asked, casually opening the driver door. _Would you step out of the car, Major?_

Fritz felt a thousand little pins prickling at him. He hid his discomfort and glared at the soldier. "Was ist die Bedeutung von diesem?" _What is the meaning of this?_

"Aus dem Auto heraus bitte." _Out of the car, please._ The soldier looked at Fritz and then further into the car at Major Miller. "Sie außerdem, Hauptmann Maynard." _You as well, Captain Maynard_.

Miller had been so busy paying attention to Fritz and the first soldier he didn't notice the second soldier had moved from the barricade to the passenger door. The door now popped open. Miller turned and looked up at the blurred face of the soldier. He then glanced back at Fritz, feeling those same pins. Fritz was already stepping out of the car. Miller did the same.

"Sie beantworteten nicht meine Frage, Soldaten," Fritz said. "Was ist die Bedeutung von diesem?" _You did not answer my question, soldier. What is the meaning of this?_

The first soldier ignored Fritz and looked across at the roof of the car at his comrade standing with Miller. "Guten Tag, Herr Hauptmann. Wie heißen Sie?"

Fritz gulped. _Damn! _"Um was sind Sie bitten seinen Namen?" he demanded. "Sie haben das Soldbuch, Sie kennen seinen Namen. Dieses ist lächerlich!"_What are you asking his name for? You have the Soldbuch, you know his name. This is ridiculous!_

"Ja, aber kennt er seinen Namen?" the soldier glared back at Fritz. "Spricht er deutsch?" _Yes, but does he know his name? Does he know German_?

The second soldier poked the business end of his rifle into Miller's right shoulder. He repeated the question. "Wie heißen Sie?"

"Maynard," Miller answered. He had picked up the word 'name' in Fritz's rebuke and knew the word 'sie' was 'you.' They were asking his name. More than that, they were acting as though they knew he was going to lie to them. "Claus Maynard." Miller looked back and forth between the two blurred soldiers. _I wish I could see!_

"Woher Kommen Sie, Claus Maynard?" _Where are you from, Claus Maynard?_

_You want to see Miller? I'll tell you what you're seeing. You're seeing your cover about to be blown!_

Fritz was seeing the same thing. The soldiers were more than just suspicious. They knew who they had. And Fritz knew that Miller didn't know enough German to understand what was being asked of him, nor to be able to reply. They would not be able to talk their way out of this.

"Dieses ist lächerlich!" Fritz said. "Er ist von Bonn, es hat Recht im Soldbuch." _This is ridiculous! He is from __Bonn__ it is right in the Soldbuch._

"Wir möchten, damit er uns das erklärt," the first soldier said. "Hauptmann Maynard, sie sind mit dem Gestapo gewesen, wie lang?" _We would like for him to tell us that_. _Captain Maynard, how long have you been with the Gestapo?_"

_It's no use Fritz, they've got us pegged..._ Miller appeared to think about his answer for a moment and then suddenly he grabbed the second soldier's rifle, pushing it away from his shoulder and swung out a good swift kick to the shin. The soldier howled on impact and one hand let go of the rifle, immediately reaching down to his bruised leg. Miller kept a hold on the rifle, yanked it from the soldier's single handed grasp and followed up by swinging the butt end of it into the soldier's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. A second hit sent the soldier to the ground.

Fritz had reacted within a split second of Miller's sudden move. The first soldier had looked quick when his comrade had howled in pain and then was suddenly in a struggle with Fritz for his rifle. The three boys spilled out of the back of the car to help in subduing the soldiers. Adler and Ahren gave some help to Fritz, while Erik stood with Miller, who had the second soldier well situated. Miller didn't have to see much to know the soldier was within point blank range of the rifle.

Ahren pulled the rifle from the first solider and Fritz and Adler forced the soldier over the hood the car, pulling his arms behind him. Fritz held the soldier down and spoke quickly in German to Adler, telling him to retrieve the rope from the trunk of the car. They would tie the soldiers to the post of the barricade. Ahren took a position in front of the car and kept the rifle trained on the first soldier. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Miller, Erik and the second soldier.

Adler retrieved the rope and returned to the front of the car. The first soldier's hands were tied behind his back and he was left face down on the hood for a moment, under Ahrens watchful eye, while Fritz and Adler came to the second soldier and tied his hands behind him.

"Up," Fritz commanded. He and Adler hauled the second soldier to his feet and marched him over to the side of the road, near the post that held the wooded barricade. Ahren poked the rifle he held into the ribs of the first soldier and ordered him to move.

Miller disengaged his aim of the rifle and dug out his glasses so he could see what the heck was going on. At that point he realized his heart was racing and he stepped back to place a steady hand on the open passenger door. The two soldiers were seated at the base of the post and situated back to back, the post between them. Fritz went to work, wrapping the remaining of the rope around the two, securing them to the post. With the last knot tied, Fritz stood back and looked at Major Miller, his expression a cross between a grin and a scolding look.

"I am not sure if I should thank you or curse you!"

Miller nodded. "It was the damn stupidest thing I could have done, I know."

"But it worked," Ahren said.

"Yes, but it just as easily could have not," Fritz said. "All of us could have been shot!"

"You _are_ to be shot," the first of the two soldiers said in English, startling Fritz and Miller. They looked at him and he sneered up at them. "The Gestapo and the SS are looking for you." He looked at Miller. "_Especially_ you. And when they find you, they _will_ shoot you."

Miller stared at the soldier and then turned slowly to look at Fritz. The bandleader paled at the decree and Fritz too gulped at the prospect.

"Let's get out of here..." Fritz said.

Since the sedan was already equipped with two guns in the trunk, the two rifles were tossed into the woods. The Soldbuchs were picked up off the ground and the sedan then pulled away, kicking back a fine cloud of dust to the two tied soldiers.

Miller pulled his mustache off. "What do we do now?" he asked. "Where do we go?"

"The nearest safe house is in Garrel, only a few miles from here. From there we will have to...rethink our route." Fritz paused and took his eyes of the road briefly, glancing at the American in the passenger seat. "Herr Miller, I--"

Miller held a hand up. "Don't say it. Just do the best you can, Fritz. My fate is in the hands of God anyway."

"Then God help me," Fritz said. "I made a promise that I would see to it you return safely to England. And that is exactly what I intend to do..."

**Wilhelmshaven, ****Germany**

Fritz, Miller and the three boys had been safe at the safe house in Garrel for almost two hours by the time Emery reached the outskirts of Wilhelmshaven. It was near six pm and the sun had long set. Although he was worried for Fritz and the others, Emery had a more pressing problem at the moment. A Gestapo roadblock.

The line of cars was short but Emery could see it was a road block. The flashlight beams from the Gestapo men crisscrossed in the dark and shined off windows and mirrors from cars as they checked each vehicle. Emery stopped the sedan several hundred feet back from the road block, pulling off to the side of the road and cutting the engine and lights. In the dark, he and the four boys sat quietly watching.

"They are...looking for us" Avril asked.

Emery nodded. "I'm sure of it. This road normally does not have a roadblock or checkpoint"

"Herr Miller, Herr Fritz, Ahren, Adler and Erik...were captured" Roderick wondered.

"Possibly."

Silence enveloped the inside of the car. The boys had all feared this since Fritz, Miller and the others had failed to show up at the checkpoint back in Bersenbruck. Like Emery though, they tried to think that maybe Fritz had just fallen behind or got held up somewhere, by either mechanical trouble or an impassable road. But not by the Gestapo.

"What do we do" Roderick asked. "Do we try another road"

"I have the feeling the other roads are no different than this one," Emery replied. "The two main roads have well fortified checkpoints at all times and the secondary roads like this one I am sure have roadblocks as well."

Another moment of silence, only this time each of the boys appeared to be thinking. Johann peered out the side window and looked toward the canal. "What if we cross on foot" he suggested.

"All of us" Avril said.

"Well perhaps not all of us Herr Reynard could drive through the roadblock with one or two of us, while the others cross the canal on foot and meet up on the other side"

"That would take less suspicion off this car as we passed through," Emery said. "I am sure they are looking for a group of young boys traveling with one or more adults."

"Yes, and the fewer boys in the car, the less suspicion," Johann said.

"But we would have to swim the canal," Avril said. "Perhaps you have not noticed but it is a little cold tonight!"

"You won't have to swim it," Emery said. "The canal lock was bombed a couple of months ago, preventing the water from flowing. The canal is dry."

Johann looked at Avril with a smile. "There. You won't even get your shoes wet"

Avril snorted. "Very well, I will go"

Johann nodded. "Me as well." He looked at Oskar. "You come with us"

The boy nodded. "I will."

Emery looked at Roderick. "Youbest stay with me."

Roderick appeared a little relieved. He glanced at the other boys, who nodded in agreement and he gave a nod to Emery. "Very well."

Emery nodded and gave some quick instructions to the boys, explaining that the road on the other side of the canal turned to the right after about a hundred feet. Once they crossed the canal, they were to stay out of sight of the checkpoint guards, preferably along the edge of the woods and brush. Emery then explained that he would pull over after the turn and wait for them.

The boys nodded and Emery wished them luck. They then exited the car and crossed to the right side of the road, heading for the canal. Roderick moved from the back to the front passenger seat of the car as Emery started it. The car then rolled back onto the road and drove on toward the checkpoint.

Johann, Avril and Oskar moved as quickly and as quietly as they could, leaving the road and walking down the slight embankment to the small clearing that was between the canal and the woods. The boys stopped and looked toward the checkpoint that was probably a hundred feet away. Their car pulled to a stop behind another one that was already being questioned by the checkpoint guards. With the guards sufficiently occupied, the boys continued on into the clearing, keeping low.

The car was waved through and Emery pulled up next. He saluted the guards and presented his identification papers. The guard examined the Soldbuch while the second one walked around the vehicle.

The three boys reached the edge of the canal and paused to look toward the lights of the bridge. Their car was at the entrance to the bridge, being questioned by the checkpoint guards. There were no cars behind it. They had to keep moving while the guard's attention was diverted. One at a time, they climbed over the concrete barrier of the edge of the canal and eased their way down into...

...about eight inches of water.

"So I'm not going to get my shoes wet, ja?" Avril hissed.

"Quiet!" Johann hissed back, grabbing a hold of both Avril and Oskar to keep them still. The small splashing noise sounded deafening and the three boys looked toward the bridge again. There was no change in the guard's postures.

At least, not that they could see. While the first guard was talking to Emery, the second one heard the sound of water splashing in the canal. He stopped moving and listened, but he heard no more.

All the boys could hear was their hearts pounding in their ears. Finally Johann loosened his grip on Avril and Oskar. "We must move quietly and slowly, do not splash the water as you walk...come" Johann started to walk, slowly moving his legs through the water to reduce the amount of splashing. Avril and Oskar followed suit.

Back at the entrance to the bridge, Emery was explaining that the young boy with him was his nephew. The guard took that at face value and Emery's Soldbuch was returned to him. The guard bade him a good evening and let him through.

The three boys weren't even halfway to the halfway mark of the two hundred foot wide canal when they each saw the car move across the bridge. They glanced at it as it crept across the bridge and they continued on, one slow watery step at a time.

The second of the two guards paused at the now empty checkpoint and lit a cigarette. He tossed his spent match over the railing of the bridge and looked down at what little water there was in the canal. The lights of the bridge reflected and danced in the water below. As he listened he thought he could hear the faint sound of water splashing up stream.

He could see nothing in the dark however, and the sound of an approaching car drowned out any other sounds from the canal. He took a drag on his cigarette and turned at the car's approach.

The boys kept on, reaching the halfway point of the canal. The depth of the water remained the same, mercifully, but the temperature was starting to have an effect. "My feet and legs are cold!" Oskar hissed.

"We're almost there" Johann replied.

Up the road, Emery had pulled the sedan around the turn and was parked off the road, he and Roderick waiting in the dark.

The car on the bridge was soon allowed to pass. As the motor echoed across the nearly empty canal, the boys stepped a little faster, trying to gain as much ground as they could while they couldn't be heard. Avril glanced toward the bridge and then looked back ahead of him...just as his foot hit something in the water and he tripped forward.

"AGH!--" _Splash!_

The guards on the bridge suddenly came to life at the noise and were now looking in the general direction of the boys. Halt! Who is out there!

Johann and Oskar stopped and reached to help Avril to stand back up. The boy had sprung back up as quickly as he went down and a barely audible sound of shock coming from his mouth once his body registered the cold water. "Let's go! Let's go!" Johann yelled and the three ran through the rest of the water to the embankment.

Warning shots rang out. A spotlight came on. The boys clambered up the embankment and darted into the woods. The spotlight was turned towards the woods, following them but they kept running, knowing they could be seen but using the light to their own advantage.

Another warning shot rang out. Halt!One of the guards came running off the bridge going after the boys.

Roderick and Emery had heard the gunshots and the sedan sprung to life. Emery swung the car around and charged back around the corner and barreled down the road. "Get down, Roderick and stay down!" The young boy obeyed and huddled down in the backseat, hanging on for dear life.

The guard stopped and was waving for the car to get off the road. But Emery wouldn't have it and kept his foot to the pedal eventually forcing the guard to dive out of the way.

"Dumpkof! What are you doing!" the guard yelled at the sedan as it pulled up the road and then swung around in the dirt, aiming for the guard again. The guard scrambled and rolled out of the way as the sedan went speeding past.

Thoroughly annoyed, the guard opened fire on the sedan, aiming between the little red taillights of the car. Bullets danced across the trunk of the car and Emery swung the sedan around one more time. Johann, Oskar and Avril, meanwhile, kept running to the point where the road turned. They took cover behind trees and brush, keeping an eye and ear in the direction of the sedan and the belligerent guard. The guard was still on the ground and he managed one shot at the oncoming sedan that went wild. He rolled again out of the way and went down into the ditch on the side of the road.

The other guard on the bridge was shooting at the sedan now. Emery figured he'd harassed them enough and he swung the sedan around again for the last time, pushing the car back down the road and away from the bridge.

The guard on the bridge was hollering for his comrade. After a moment, the first guard answered back that he was okay and climbed up from the ditch and back to the road. He looked in the direction the sedan went, the dark revealing nothing, the night air settling back to its crisp quietness. He didn't know who had been in the canal or who was in the car and this angered him more than having been attacked to begin with. He stomped back toward the bridge so that he could radio to his superiors in town what had taken place.

Up around the turn, Emery told Roderick to keep a watch out for the others. The boy, trying not to appear shaken by the ride in the car and the gun fire that had crackled around them, looked out the window. The sedan crept along slowly and soon, Roderick spotted the other three as they came out from the edge of the woods.

"There they are"

Emery stopped and the boys, wet and chilled to the bone, piled into the car. Once the door shut, the sedan pulled forward hurrying on into the town of Wilhelmshaven.


	9. Hours Lost

**Garrel, ****Germany**

Before Emery had reached the outskirts of Wilhelmshaven and the canal crossing, Fritz, Miller and the boys had spent two hours in Garrel. Two hours too long for Fritz. The safe house, a two room flat upstairs from a dry goods store, had no heat and could really only fit three people comfortably. Hugo Sturtevant, a short, dark haired balding Dutchman who owned the flat and the store below it, was always prepared for any escapees coming along the route, but had been unprepared for three keyed up boys, one pensive underground agent and one especially weary American bandleader. While Sturtevant scrambled to find blankets for everyone to stay warm, Fritz had tried to contact his group in Düsseldorf with the radio but received no response. He also could not get through on the telephone as phone service was limited and intermittent at best.

He did manage to get through to Hammelburg and left a coded message with the Underground there: His baker's truck broke down and he was concerned he would not be able to get his goods to market before they spoiled.

It was a message Fritz hated to send, because it meant the escape was in trouble. Big trouble. And it frustrated him and even shamed him a little. He had been running escapes on the route for a couple of years. He was good at what he did. He knew the area. But the Gestapo, with help from the SS and Lord knew who else, was pulling out all the stops. Being compromised at the military checkpoint had been a first. And it was a first he would have preferred to not have experienced.

After hanging up the phone, Fritz had paused to look at his charges; the three young boys and Major Miller. Erik and Adler were sprawled on the floor, Ahren sat quietly in a chair. They were quiet but it was a tense quiet. The stakes for escaping had been high to begin with, but when Ahren translated to the other two what the soldier had spoken in English at the checkpoint, the light at the end of the tunnel seemed to dim. They were more concerned about what would happen to Miller. Only as an afterthought did they realize that they too might suffer the same fate.

Major Miller occupied one end of the couch, a blanket over him and had his head leaned back, dozing. He'd been going for more than 24 hours with no sleep and exhaustion was issuing orders he couldn't really ignore anymore. At the same time, however, he was rattled enough knowing the Gestapo and the SS had a bullet with his name on it, and his slumbered thoughts tended to drift on the side of fatalistic. _Always figured one of those damn V-1 rockets would get me first..._

Fritz seemed to be drawing a blank on what to do next. Where to go. They were forty miles from Wilhelmshaven and their time was essentially up. The first hour in Garrel had been spent just trying to make a connection to an Underground unit closest to Düsseldorf. The latest the fishing boat could wait for them, if it did wait, would be until 7pm. Fritz looked at the hands of the clock reading 5pm and he sighed. They needed a different car, different uniforms, a different route and a different cover.

What they needed most was a miracle. And they needed all of it in less than an hour.

"Brandeis," Sturtevant said, one of the few in the Underground to refer to Fritz by his first name. "I can get you a car and uniforms. I have Helmut checking on an alternate route for you. The cover of night, however, will be your best advantage."

"It will be our only advantage. If we can at least make it to Varel we will be able to stay there the night."

"Ja. And they have heat." Sturtevant smiled.

Fritz chuckled and nodded at him.

The uniforms were Germany Army uniforms, complete with loaded side arms. Fritz woke Miller from his brief rest and handed him the uniform to change. Miller was half way to the little washroom before he realized what it was he would be changing in to. He only paused a moment, looking at the uniform and then turned to look at Fritz. The robust baker looked back apologetically and Miller just gave a light snort and shook his head. He then disappeared into the washroom to change.

An alternate route was worked out and Sturtevant's helpers determined there was one checkpoint to pass through before reaching Varel. For Fritz, that was one checkpoint too many.

"I do not like it," Fritz said. "After what happened I would rather travel on foot than go through another checkpoint." He, Sturtevant, one of the Sturtevant's helpers and Major Miller were seated at the small kitchen table. Fritz and Miller wore their German Army uniforms. A map of Germany was spread out before them. A thin string of smoke from Miller's cigarette hung in the air.

"It is too dangerous to travel on foot," Sturtevant said. "It is also too cold. The car I am getting for you will help you through the checkpoint."

"How's that?" Miller asked.

Sturtevant grinned. "You will see."

The car was the one thing they had to wait for, however. In the meantime, Fritz and Sturtevant put together new identity cards and papers to go with the Army uniforms and then separated out the supplies from the sedan that would be needed for the rest of the trip, the rest to stay with Sturtevant for the next escapee to pass through.

Fritz looked at his watch. It was almost six o'clock. They would definitely not make it to Wilhelmshaven by seven. Although he accepted this set back, he was restless with waiting. Finally, the car arrived at ten minutes after six. Sturtevant gathered everyone to the alley behind his dry goods store.

Major Miller looked at the car and saw pretty much just a German Army staff car. Military flags fluttered on the ends of the rounded fenders. The convertible top was up and covered a clean and plush interior, with a woodgrain dash board, polished wood molding and velvour seats. What he didn't see, was Sturtevant's trick for getting them through the checkpoint.

The Dutchman opened the double back doors and revealed the car's secret. The extended back seat, with two bench seats facing each other, had been altered in such a way as not to be immediately noticeable to a passing glance. Much like a box can be made with a false bottom, these seats were "false" seats. The cores had been removed, leaving only a modified outside shell. They still looked like the seats and could still sit a passenger as normal. But they provided nearly flawless hiding places.

The first bench seat, directly behind the front seats, could hide one person, although they would be packed in almost like a sardine. The back bench seat, towards the trunk, actually extended into the trunk, the paneling between the seat and trunk removable, to allow more room. This offered a spot for at least two people.

Ahren, Adler and Erik thought the false seats were incredible. Each of the boys climbed into the car and tried out a hiding spot, helping demonstrate the simplicity and ease of use. Major Miller was both impressed and amused by the modification. "Bootleggers during Prohibition would have _loved_ this car," he said.

"Bootleggers?" Sturtevant asked.

"Whiskey runners," Miller said.

Fritz chuckled and looked at Sturtevant. "I believe he is referring to when the Americans outlawed the making and selling of beer and liquors several years ago. There were people who found…other ways to continue making, and transporting, the liquor."

"Ah, I see." Sturtevant smiled at Miller. "Germany has outlawed few liquors but I understand the reference you are making. Smugglers. I will say Herr Miller, this car has been used to smuggle other various things. Thus, the modification."

Miller nodded, looking into the car again. He then looked at Fritz. "You're not going to try to stuff me in there are you?"

"Initially that is what I was thinking," Sturtevant answered. "But it is obvious," he continued, looking up at Miller and taking into account the bandleader's height. "You are not going to fit."

"I'll just have to take the chance sitting up front."

"It is a chance I do not like," Fritz said.

"Well I'm not exactly crazy about it myself," Miller said. "But with the boys hiding in the seats, we should be less obvious at any of those checkpoints."

"He is right," Sturtevant said. "The checkpoint before Varel is remote. You will cause no suspicion there."

Fritz thought this over and nodded. "Very well." He then looked at his watch. It was near six-thirty. "We have missed the boat for tonight, but we will be able to stay in Varel until tomorrow. Goldilocks should be able to pick you up tomorrow night."

Miller nodded. He was about to ask if the twenty-four hour delay was risky, but inherently he already knew the answer.

**Wilhelmshaven, ****Germany**

As Fritz, Miller and the boys were heading out of Garrel, Emery arrived for a quick stop at the safe house in Wilhelmshaven for the boys to get some dry clothes and hot soup. At twenty minutes to seven they drove the short distance from the safe house to the pier. The captain of the fishing boat was waiting. He ushered them aboard and then pulled Emery aside.

"This is not all of them."

Emery shook his head. "I am not sure what has happened to Fritz with Herr Miller and the others." He looked at his watch. "Can we wait?"

The fisherman checked his watch. "Ja, we can wait but not for long."

Emery nodded. This much he knew.

**Düsseldorf, Germany  
****Gestapo Headquarters**

The subdued idling of the fishing boat engines was a stark contrast to the noise at Gestapo Headquarters in Düsseldorf. At about quarter to seven, Major Hochstetter received some bad news.

"_You had them!_" Hochstetter roared, slamming his hand on his desk for emphasis. The two Army officers, who had been given the unpleasant task of directly reporting to the Gestapo what had happened at the checkpoint east of Clappenburg, didn't flinch. They'd heard worse from the upper ranks of the German Army.

"_You had them and those two dumkopfs let them get away!_"

"Herr Major, _the soldiers were trying to verify that it was really the American_--"

"BAH! _They should have detained him in such a manner so that he would have no chance to escape and then ask the questions! The only chance those two have now is for duty to the Eastern Front!_" Hochstetter stepped away from his desk and walked over to the map of Germany, marked up with points where reports had come in. He looked at his watch and then back at the map again. "_Three hours...they could have gone anywhere in three hours!_" He punched the map and turned back to the Army officers. "_Why did it take you three hours to report this to me?_"

The two Army officers looked at each other, neither one particular on explaining the delay. But they had no choice. "_The soldiers were tied up,_" one of the officers explained. "_We did not find out what had happened until their reliefs had arrived."_

"_This may be a costly mistake. If your soldiers had been more proactive they would not have been tied up and we would not have to waste further resources in the chase. We would have had them!_"

"Ja, Herr Major."

"_You will inform your troops that from this point on, if they suspect that they may have the American at their check point they are to immediately detain him. Allow no chance for escape! Place him under immediate arrest and then do their questioning to verify._"

"Jawohl, Herr Major."

"_Also make it clear that a mistake such as what we've seen...will not be tolerated._"

"Jawohl, Herr Major..."

"_Dismissed._" Hochstetter waved them out of the room. No sooner had the two Army officers left, when a courier came in.

"Herr Major." He held out a communiqué. "_From _Wilhelmshaven_ There was an incident at one of the canal crossings, they think it may have been some of the kids that escaped with the American._"

Hochstetter grabbed the sheet and read it quickly. "Wilhelmshaven..." He turned and looked at the map again, tracing the route from Clappenburg to Wilhelmshaven with his eyes. Yes...

A rare smirk crept across Hochstetter's face. "_Now I've got him..._"

**Wilhelmshaven, Germany**

Seven o'clock came too quickly. The four boys had said their goodbyes and expressed their thanks for what Emery had done for them just after they had stepped on the boat. The captain had then sent them below deck, while he and Emery remained on deck in hopes that Fritz would arrive with the rest of the group. But there was little activity along the pier and no car pulled up. The captain apologized to Emery and said he had to leave immediately in order to meet the sub. Emery nodded. He wished a safe trip for the captain and stepped off the boat and back onto the pier.

The fishing boat's engines had already been idling and Emery watched as a couple members of the crew unlatched the dock ropes. Then the boat was pushed away from the dock and chugged away at a subdued pace and with minimal lights on. Emery sighed. His mission was complete and although he was relieved to have got the four boys to this point he found little joy in the success. Fritz, Miller and the other three boys were still out there somewhere.

Emery turned and walked down the pier, returning to the car. He had to find out where they were.


	10. Divine Intervention

**Varel, ****Germany**

As the fishing boat cruised out of the harbor, Fritz, Major Miller and the boys were fifteen miles south of Varel. A few feet beyond the sign that told of the upcoming road block, Fritz pulled the car over so that he and Miller could assist the boys into the hiding places in the seats of the car. Once the boys were secure, Fritz and Miller returned to the front. Fritz paused looking at the American. Miller straightened his German Army officer's cap and removed his glasses. He tucked them into one inside pocket of his grey over coat and removed his new fake Soldbuch from the other side. He could feel Fritz watching him and he looked at the baker.

"Herr Miller...I can not lie to you. There is no telling what may happen when we reach the roadblock. We may pass through with no problem, or we may be scrutinized again, as we were in Clappenburg, even without them seeing the boys..."

"And if they figure out who I am, we'll all be killed," Miller stated matter-of-factly. He paused, opening the passenger side vent window and taking out one of his last remaining cigarettes and his Zippo lighter. "Fritz, I know this very well may be the end of the line here, but we don't have any choice. We can't stay here. All the other routes Sturtevant's sentries checked out had checkpoints and roadblocks that we couldn't avoid. This route was picked because it was a little more remote. Even if we tried to go on foot, we'd be caught by patrols. There's a chance we'll get through here, but if we don't, I want you to do something."

Fritz nodded. "Of course."

"If they order us out of the car, let me get out first. Then I want you to step on that accelerator and get you and the boys out of there." The cigarette went between his lips and he clicked the Zippo open, striking the flame.

Fritz was thunderstruck. "What!"

"I mean it." Miller paused a moment for the lighter to catch the cigarette. After it did the Zippo clicked closed and a short drag was taken. "It's me they want," he continued. "I'm not taking anyone with me."

"Herr Miller, I..." Fritz was shaking his head. "I could not do that. Colonel Hogan, your Allied Command...they would demand answers. Answers I would not be able to give to them. They would demand to know _why_ I would drive off and leave you to die at the hands of the Nazis. No! I will not do it."

"You'd stay and allow yourself and these boys to die at the hands of the Nazis? And they only reason you'd be killed is because you've associated yourselves with me? Don't be a fool."

"I am part of the Underground fight against the Nazis...I take that risk everyday."

"I think you're taking an unwarranted risk with me. Not that I don't appreciate it. But Fritz...I'm not a General. I'm not a spy with important information. I'm _just_ a bandleader. If I make it back to England alive, the band goes back on the radio. If I die, the band goes back on the radio. It's a moot point now. But Colonel Hogan and you and all the others like you... the operation you have is too important, the stakes are too important, for you to get yourselves killed along with me." Miller paused, glancing toward the back seat of the car, where the boys were hid. "These boys never should have been mixed up in this thing to begin with, and they shouldn't have to die because of it."

A car passed them and slowed, almost as if looking to see what was going on with this car parked by the side of the road. Fritz and Miller both looked at it until it sped back up to normal speed and continued on. Miller returned his blurred gaze back to Fritz waiting for a reaction.

The Underground man was avoiding the gaze. The American's offer of self-sacrifice was unnerving. Fritz merely took a deep breath and turned the ignition. The car pulled back onto the road and headed for the checkpoint.

**Wilhelmshaven, ****Germany**

Emery returned to the Underground safe house he had first brought the boys to. The husband and wife owners of the house, seated at their kitchen table, looked at the young man as he came in. His defeated look concerned them.

The woman stood up immediately. "_The boys?__ Did they make it to the boat?_"

Emery nodded. "Ja, _they are safe. They are on their way to the sub. I am concerned for Fritz though. Has there been any message?_"

The woman shook her head. "Nein._ The radio has been most quiet. But then again, there is much Gestapo and SS around...Fritz may not be able to send out a message."_

_"That is what has me worried." _

**Varel, ****Germany**

The silence of the radio was nothing compared to the deafening silence within the staff car. As they waited to pass through the roadblock, Fritz watched the two soldiers as they went through their routine of checking identity papers and talking to the occupants of the car ahead of them. The soldiers didn't seem to be giving any extra effort to the scrutinizing, but then again, Fritz didn't know what was in the car ahead of him. It could have very well been somebody they already knew.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fritz saw Miller sitting quietly looking downward, cigarette still in hand. Waiting.

_I'm not taking anyone with me_.

Fritz was still debating with himself whether he would drive off and leave the Major if the situation warranted it. He agreed the boys lives should be preserved but...at the cost of Miller's? Would Colonel Hogan understand? Would Allied command? Would he be able to live with himself if he did what the Major asked?

The car ahead of them pulled away. Miller looked up and held the phony Soldbuch out to Fritz. Fritz took it but then hesitated in moving the car. One of the soldiers was waving for him to move.

Miller looked at Fritz, sensing the hesitation. "Go on..."

Fritz gulped. "Ja..." He took a deep breath and put the car in gear, moving forward.

"Guten Abend...Heil Hitler..." the soldier said, looking at Fritz through the window. Fritz returned the greeting and handed over the Soldbuchs.

The soldier accepted them and looked at Fritz's first. Verified, the soldier than opened Miller's.

The soldier paused, looking at the photo. He then leaned down to look through the window at the passenger in the car. They were the same, but there was something else. The soldier straightened and appeared to be checking the validation stamps in the Soldbuch while he reached into his overcoat for one of the photographs he had been given earlier in the day.

US Army Captain Glenn Miller looked back at him. The man in the photo in the Soldbuch looked similar.

Fritz saw what the soldier was looking at and held his breath. _You have the wrong man, soldier... this isn't the American..._

But the soldier knew it was the American. However, he put the photo back in his overcoat and closed the Soldbuch, handing both of them back to Fritz. "Danke. _Safe travel to you, _Herr Oberstleutnant, Major." There was the merest twitch of the soldier's eye, suggesting a wink. Fritz couldn't believe it. He accepted the Soldbuchs back but stared at the soldier. The soldier merely took a step back and saluted. "Heil Hitler..." He seemed to hold back a smile. A friendly smile.

Fritz blinked out of his stupor and returned the salute with a respectful and appreciative nod. The car rolled forward and passed through the checkpoint.

Miller had the sense that something strange just happened. He dug out his glasses and put them on to look at Fritz, just as the baker began to chuckle.

"Okay," Miller said, "what the hell just happened?"

Fritz laughed a little more in sheer relief. "Divine intervention, Herr Miller. Divine intervention!"

Once out of sight of the checkpoint, Fritz pulled the car over so that boys could come out of the hiding places. Major Miller was still trying to understand what had happened.

"You mean they had me pegged right there," he stated, looking at Fritz on the other side of the car through the open back door. The boys, out of their hiding spots were seated, looking back and forth between Miller and Fritz. "But they let us pass through? I feel like I'm being set up."

"Nein. The soldier, he is sympathetic to the Underground."

"How the hell do you know that? He hardly said anything."

"If he was not sympathetic, we would not be having this conversation." Fritz toned dropped softly. "We would already be dead, Herr Miller."

Miller sighed heavily, resting a foot on the running board of the staff car. He closed his eyes briefly, exhaustion and the anticlimax of passing through the checkpoint freely instead of meeting his end were mounting a fierce battle to knock him out. The brief cat nap in Garrel hadn't helped much. The cigarette between his fingers, half burned, wasn't doing anything either. He opened his eyes again and looked at Fritz. "You don't think they're just going to ambush us down the road?"

"Nein," Fritz said. He looked at the American with concern. "Herr Miller, you have been going almost 36 hours with no sleep. From here we will have safe passage to Varel and then you can rest."

"You need it," Ahren spoke. "We all need it but I can tell you are exhausted."

Miller looked at the boy and gave a slight nod. "You're right. That's probably contributing to my more...dreadful thoughts." Miller looked back in the direction of the checkpoint and then at Fritz. "Let's get out of here, huh?"

Fritz nodded. The back doors of the sedan were closed and a moment later it pulled back onto the road.

The safe house in Varel was in the heart of the town, or rather the small city. Fritz guided the sedan through the narrow streets and very light traffic and on to a tenement building. He backed the car into the alley next to the tenement building putting it out of sight of the street and then he, Miller and the boys went inside through a door facing the alley.

They trudged up to the second floor, Miller bringing up the rear and stifling a yawn. Fritz paused at the door of the second floor landing to turn to the boys and Miller, bringing a finger to his lips, an indication they were to remain quiet once they were in the hall so as not to draw any un-needed attention to themselves.

They walked quietly down the hall and then Fritz stopped at a door, knocking lightly. After a moment, an older man answered. He looked at Fritz, saw the four additional faces and nodded. The door opened wider, allowing everyone in.

Besides the man, a girl who looked to be about twenty stood expectantly in the apartment. She gave a welcoming smile to the boys and Miller and then waited as Fritz spoke immediately to the man about Major Miller.

The man nodded and looked to the girl. "Elsa," he said. "_Show _Major Miller_ to the guest room.__ He looks about ready to collapse where he stands._"

"Ja, Papa." She looked at Miller. "This way..." Miller followed the girl. The man in the meantime led Fritz and the boys into the living area of the apartment.

"This is the washroom," she said, pointing to one door. The next door she stopped at and opened disappearing into the dark. Miller waited at the door way until the light from a lamp illuminated the room. He stepped in as Elsa turned down the comforter.

"There you are," she said.

"Danke," Miller said as the girl started for the door. She paused and looked at him, surprised. "You...speak German?" she asked.

He snorted softly and shook his head. "Not really. Just a few words."

She smiled and nodded. "Rest well, Herr Miller." She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Miller paused for only a moment to look around the room, feeling terribly alone. He stepped toward the vanity dresser and removed the heavy German Army overcoat and officer's hat and placed them on the chair. He took a moment to look at his reflection in the vanity mirror as he loosened the necktie and unbuttoned the uniform jacket. He came to the quick decision that he looked like hell and turned away. The uniform jacket was slipped off, along with the tie and the articles were dumped on top of the overcoat on the chair. He then sat down on the bed to remove his shoes.

He paused, fighting off sleep for just a moment longer while he kicked off the footwear. Then he finally gave in, laid down on his back, his head against the pillows and was gone within a few moments. He never had the chance to remove his glasses or even turn off the light of the lamp.

About a half an hour later, after the boys were settled into another room, the man came to check on Miller and found the Major as he was at the moment he fell asleep. The man chuckled softly. "_Goodness, he never made it under the bedspread..._" He entered the room and walked over to the vanity. A heavy blanket was removed from a drawer and he unfurled it,walking back around the bed to drape the blanket over Miller. He then carefully removed Miller's glasses, hardly disturbing him in his sleep. The glasses were placed on the nightstand and the lamp was turned out.

"Gute nacht, musik mann..."

**Wilhelmshaven, Germany**

Around seven-thirty, restless with worry and feeling useless, Emery changed into civilian clothes and walked down to a nearby Bierstube. It was a place frequented by both Underground operatives and Gestapo alike and Emery figured maybe he could find some information, one way or the other. He found a table and settled in with his newspaper and a beer. Several minutes later, three Gestapo officers came in and sat at a table near Emery.

"_So, what is this that happened? The Army almost captured the American?_"

"Ja, _in Clappenburg.__ The American got away. _Major Hochstetter _thinks that he is heading this way however. Especially after what happened at the canal crossing earlier this evening. It is possible that some of those kids that escaped with the American were crossing the canal at the time_."

Emery nearly choked. _Almost captured!_ Worse than that, the incident at the canal crossing was sending up a red flag and Fritz and Miller quiet possibly were going to walk into a trap once they reached Wilhelmshaven. Emery turned the page in his newspaper and listened some more although he wanted to just jump up and get out of there to try to send out an emergency message to the rest of the Underground, alerting them of what might happen.

"_The two main roads into _Wilhelmshaven_ will be heavily patrolled starting tonight. Every vehicle passing through those checkpoints and checkpoints on the secondary roads will be thoroughly checked. We will have more details tomorrow morning but it is clear that no matter where the American goes between _Clappenburg_ and here, he will be caught. Checkpoint guards have been told that if they suspect they have the American they are to detain him first...and then ask questions to verify."_

_"There is also heightened observance of known and suspected Underground operatives within the area. Suspected safe houses are being watched. If the American is receiving any assistance, he should be spotted."_

At this, a waitress had come over to take the Gestapo men's orders. Their attention diverted to food and to the pretty girl taking their order, Emery took a few quick gulps of his beer and then gently folded his newspaper. A few Deutschmarks were left on the table to pay for the beer and for a tip and then Emery stood up quietly and left the Bierstube.


	11. Papa Bear Plots

**Stalag 13  
****Day 8**

While Emery was scrambling to figure a way to send out a warning message, and Major Miller and the boys were settled in for the night in Varel, Colonel Hogan and his men were gathered around the radio in the tunnel below barracks two. At a little after eight, the radio came to life with a voice transmission. "Goldilocks calling Papa Bear. Goldilocks calling Papa Bear. Come in Papa Bear."

Kinch glanced at Colonel Hogan and the others. They had been waiting all day for this radio transmission. Kinch adjusted his headphones and spoke into the mike. "This is Papa Bear, go ahead Goldilocks."

"Papa Bear, I have half the flock. Repeat, I only have _half_ the flock. No Bluebird. Please advise on whereabouts of Bluebird. Over."

The change in Kinch's expression sent up a red flag with the others looking at him. He looked at Hogan. "They only have some of the kids. Miller's not with them."

"What!" LeBeau exclaimed, with Newkirk and Carter equally concerned.

Hogan gestured for the headset. "Goldilocks, this is Papa Bear, could you please repeat?"

"I only have half the flock, Papa Bear. No Bluebird. Whereabouts of Bluebird are unknown. Can you advise?"

Hogan felt like he was going to be sick. "Negative," came his reply trying not to sound shaky. "We will inquire and get back to you, Goldilocks."

"Acknowledged, Papa Bear."

Hogan removed the headset and handed it back to Kinch. "Get the Underground. I want to know where the hell he is."

Kinch nodded, putting the headset on and changing the frequency to hail the Underground.

"I can't believe it!" Carter said.

"Do you think he was caught?" Newkirk asked.

"If he was caught I think we would have heard about it by now," Hogan replied.

"They may have decided not to wait for us to watch and they have already killed him," LeBeau said with a low growl.

Hogan held a hand up. "Let's try to think positive here. Maybe they weren't caught but they're in trouble somewhere. They may have fallen behind schedule for a lot of different reasons. Mechanical problems, an impassable road..."

"Too many bloody roadblocks," Newkirk added.

Hogan gave a nod to Newkirk's direction. "Depending how thick Hochstetter's coverage is of the area, that's possible. For all we know they're pinned down somewhere."

Kinch looked at the Colonel. "The Underground's not responding."

Hogan sighed. "Terrific. Guess we'll have to go knock on their door." He looked at his watch. "After lights out, I'll go."

"Maybe one of us should go with you..." Kinch suggested. They were all restless.

"Any volunteers?" Hogan asked. Immediately all four hands went up.

"LeBeau."

"Merci, mon Colonel."

**  
Hammelburg, ****Germany**

The number of people in the Hofbrau after nine o'clock was typical. Things were busy enough so that two additional people coming in was hardly noticed, yet not so busy that the bartender could not take extra time with these two customers.

Hogan and LeBeau, dressed as German civilians, seated themselves at the bar and the Colonel dropped German marks on the counter. Immediately, two beers were delivered along with a slip of paper. The bartender, Bruno, then left to tend to other customers.

Hogan unfolded the paper. _Truck has broke down and there is concern that the goods can not be delivered before they spoil._

LeBeau was looking at the Colonel expectantly. Hogan sighed, tucking the paper into his coat. "They're in trouble..."

"Caught?"

Hogan shook his head. "More likely pinned down somewhere. Depending how old this message is."

LeBeau drew in a deep breath. "_Punaise_..." he growled softly. _Damn. _He picked up the beer mug and took a drink.

It was several minutes before Bruno returned.

Hogan looked up at the bartender. "Where?"

"Garrel."

"When?"

Bruno glanced at the clock and looked at the Colonel apologetically. "About four hours ago. I am sorry that we could not get that to you sooner. The play this evening..." The play...an Underground operation.

Hogan was extremely disappointed but merely nodded. "When do you expect the play to be over?"

"They should be on their way back now, as it was a long distance show. Probably a couple more hours."

Hogan nodded again. He took one last drink of the beer and then said, "We'll be back later..."

Bruno nodded. Suddenly the telephone rang. He turned to answer it as Hogan and LeBeau headed for the door.

"Hallo?" the bartender listened to the voice on the other end and looked toward the door anxiously. Hogan and LeBeau had already left. He asked the caller to hold for a moment and put the phone down, hurrying around the bar and heading for the door.

"_Gentlemen!__ Just a moment..." _he ran a little to catch up to them, darting around a few people. Hogan and LeBeau stopped and turned to him. "_I think I overcharged you." _Bruno said, _"Please, come back inside I want to make sure I tallied your order right..."_

Hogan and LeBeau followed the bartender back into the Hofbrau. Bruno returned to the phone and resumed the conversation.

Hogan listened to what Bruno was saying. He realized he was talking to Fritz.

After a moment, the conversation came to a close. "Ja...ja, I will tell him..." There was no goodbye and Bruno merely hung up the phone. He turned to Hogan and LeBeau and picked up his order pad scribbling a few short words on it. He then tore it off and handed it to Hogan.

_Varel.__ Will need help delivering the goods. _

Hogan read it and looked at Bruno with a nod. "We'll be back later."

**  
Stalag 13**

"London's been screaming for you on the radio," Kinch said as soon as Hogan and LeBeau returned to camp. "They want to know where Miller is. _Now._"

"He's in Varel. Would they like to send a couple of divisions in and go pick him up?" Hogan said sarcastically. He then held a hand up and closed his eyes a moment. "Sorry."

Kinch nodded.

"Is he okay, Colonel?" Carter asked.

"For now. They're pinned down. Fritz did manage to get a message out tonight while LeBeau and I were at the Hofbrau. They're going to need help getting out of Varel."

"Which means we're going to Varel," Newkirk said.

"We're going to Varel. I don't know how yet, but I'm going back to Hammelburg a little later and figure that out."

"What do you want me to tell London in the meantime?" Kinch asked.

"Tell them the Major's run into a SNAFU and we're working on fixing it."

**  
Wilhelmshaven, ****Germany**

Emery, meanwhile, was dealing with a communication issue in his efforts to get a message out to the rest of the Underground. Finally, a discreet phone call allowed for the short, two word message to be passed along the Underground network. Hopefully it would reach Fritz if he stopped somewhere, wherever he was, and let those back in Düsseldorf know what the conditions were in Wilhelmshaven. It was a warning, clear and concise.

Nest der Viper.

_Viper's nest... _

**  
Hammelburg, ****Germany**

A little after eleven, Hogan returned to Hammelburg alone, having told his men they should try to get some sleep while they could. There was no sense in staying awake all night anyway. There was no guarantee they were going to be able to do much to help Fritz. Varel was at least a hundred and sixty-fives miles north. To get there in any reasonable amount of time, they would have to travel by rail.

It was a long shot. Conning Kommandant Klink into allowing Hogan and his men out of Stalag 13 was the easy part. Conning a train conductor into thinking they were being transferred or escorted somewhere by orders of the Gestapo or German High Command, was questionable.

Hogan knew he had to try. Major Hochstetter had pulled out all the stops in his pursuit of Major Miller. Frankly, the bandleader had more combined Gestapo and SS troops after him then he probably would have cared to know about. But the point was the High Command was making a very big deal out of what the Major had done. To them, Miller represented everything the Nazis hated and his act with the radio broadcast, a proverbial rude hand gesture, had enraged them. Yet they knew what Miller represented to the Allies. Patriotism, duty, honor and self-sacrifice. His efforts with music helped build morale. His capture and subsequent end, the High Command felt, would deal a crushing blow to the Allies.

_Maybe not a crushing blow,_ Hogan thought. _But it would certainly piss a lot of people off. Myself included._

So now it was time to pull out all the stops against Hochstetter. Assuming Hogan could pull a plan together with the local underground, he could already hear London warning him of the potential exposure of the operation should things go wrong.

_Every escape risks exposure to the operation. If we weren't willing to accept the risk, why the hell are we in this business?_

This was the last thought Hogan had when he arrived at the Underground meeting place. Maurice Dubois was there, along with several of Hammelburg's Underground regulars, all ready to do whatever they had to, to help their comrades.

Dubois greeted the Colonel as he came in. "_Mon, Colonel_. I apologize for the message from Fritz not being delivered earlier. Our operation earlier this evening we had been planning for several weeks and we just could not deviate from it."

Hogan shook his head, waving off the apology. "Were you successful?"

"Oui."

"Okay then. Now let's figure what we're going to do for Major Miller..."

Within the span of an hour, a plan was developed that consisted of three phases. The first phase was getting Colonel Hogan and his men out of Stalag 13 which, as Hogan knew, was the easy part. The second phase was getting on board a train to travel north. That part would be a little tricky, but not entirely impossible. The third phase was dependent upon what they found once they got into Varel.

Phase one was set into motion immediately. Hogan hurried back to Stalag 13, while the Underground pulled together what they needed for the con. Things were going to move very, very fast. The Colonel could only hope that it was going to be fast enough for Major Miller…

**  
Stalag 13**

At twelve-thirty, Hogan had returned to camp only to find his men were still awake. None of them had been able to sleep. He told them what was happening and that the Underground would be coming for them within the next thirty minutes or so. He then went with Kinch down to the tunnel to send a message to London, requesting that Goldilocks be on standby the next day for a pick up at anytime.

"Papa Bear, what is going on? What is this situation Bluebird has run into?"

"There's no time to explain. Just have Goldilocks on standby for a pick up. We're heading into the field ourselves."

"Papa Bear, that's not recommended. Security issues..."

Hogan ignored it. "We have no other choice, Mama Bear. Unless you don't want to see Bluebird fly again."

There was a long pause on the other end of the radio. A very long pause. Hogan was starting to think the transmission was lost when the voice returned.

"Goldilocks will be on standby, Papa Bear. We'll await further information."

"Acknowledged Mama Bear. Papa Bear out..."

A "Gestapo" staff car, with three Underground men in it, came through the gates of Stalag 13 just after 1am. They demanded to see Klink at once and the Kommandant was rustled out of bed. Klink didn't bother to change into uniform and prepared to meet the officers in his office in his pajamas and robe. After all, this was _his_ camp. _What could they possibly want that can't wait until a more decent hour?_

The "Gestapo" officers stood up when Klink entered his office. They each looked surprised by Klink's attire.

"All right, all right," Klink said, marching to his desk. "What could you possibly want at this hour?"

The ranking officer approached the desk and held out a piece of paper. "These prisoners are to be taken to Berlin immediately."

Klink looked at the list. _Carter, Hogan, Kinchloe, LeBeau, Newkirk._

"What for?"

"It is in relation to the incident at the radio station in Düsseldorf." The officer took the paper back from Klink and folded it back into his pocket. "They are to be questioned, amongst other things."

Klink looked at the officers. "What other things?—" He suddenly thought of something. "Major Miller...has been captured?"

"He is surrounded. We have no time for your questions Kommandant. We must take the prisoners at once."

"I find this very unusual, Oberleutnant. I think I should check with Major Hochstetter before---"

"Major Hochstetter is the one who ordered us here to pick up the prisoners! Now, if you would be so kind Kommandant as to tell us what barracks they are in, we will not trouble you any further. We will take the prisoners and be out of your way." The officer leaned on the desk. "Unless you would prefer we shake down this entire camp..."

Burkhalter's words about Hogan and the others bearing witness to Major Miller's final punishment were echoing in Klink's mind. Hogan and his men would have no idea what it was they were going to see and he could not forewarn them. He also had no choice against the Gestapo. The Kommandant's posture slumped a little. "That won't be necessary," he said. "They are in Barracks Two. Directly across the compound."

The officer nodded and stood back from the desk. "Danke, Herr Kommandant." He then saluted. "Heil Hitler."

Klink returned a half hearted salute. "Heil Hitler. Schultz, accompany these officers to Barracks Two."

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant."

The "Gestapo" officers exited the office with Schultz following. Klink returned to his quarters to get his heavy overcoat.

Although Hogan and his men knew the "Gestapo" was coming, a convincing act was put on as they were all rustled out of bed. Schultz had all he could do to keep the barracks from erupting into a riot and the "Gestapo" officers finally quelled everything with the pointing of weapons. Hogan and his men were ordered to dress quickly. When they were escorted from the barracks, Klink was outside waiting.

Hogan stopped, continuing his act. "What's going on, Kommandant? Why are we being taken to Berlin?"

"Yeah, what's the deal here? I need my beauty rest ya know…" The rest of the heroes chimed in as well.

"I am sorry, Colonel Hogan. Major Hochstetter's orders."

"Hochstetter? What he's too lazy to come here and interrogate us now? He has to have us dragged out of bed at one o'clock in the morning?"

"If the circumstances were different, Colonel Hogan, I am sure Major Hochstetter would come here for any further interrogation."

"Circumstances? What circumstances?"

Klink shook his head. "I am sorry, Colonel. I can not say anymore."

"You can't say anymore?" he said. "What's the big secret here? What--?" Hogan paused, acting like he suddenly thought of something. "Miller. This has to do with Major Miller doesn't it?"

Klink said nothing and looked away.

Hogan was a little surprised. _Obviously he thinks we're being led off to witness Miller's end and he really feels bad! Will wonders never cease..._

"It is!" he exclaimed. "That's what it is! They've caught him! They're gonna...they're gonna..." Hogan appeared to not be able to say it. The "Gestapo" gave Hogan's arm a tug and he and his men were led across the compound to the waiting car, although Hogan continued his vocal protest with the rest of the boys shouting with him. They were all silenced once the car doors closed.

Kommandant Klink didn't look at the car again as it headed for the gate. He just walked back to his quarters in silence.


	12. A Second Near Miss

**Varel, ****Germany  
****Day 9**

Hogan and his men, along with six members of the Underground passing as Gestapo, boarded a train and traveled to Varel without incident. The train conductor was a loyal member of the Nazi party and had just the right amount of healthy fear of the Gestapo. His train, he said, was their train.

Once settled on the train, the entire trip took about three hours. Hogan ordered for everyone to rest and to get some sleep. Things would move very fast once they reached their destination.

There was hardly time to pause, or to realize the sun was starting to come up when they arrived just after five-thirty. Two "Gestapo" cars waited at the train station, both drivers standing together near one of the cars. Hogan and his men stood with their "Gestapo" guards, while Dubois, as the ranking officer, went to verify the identity of the drivers. Customary greetings were exchanged and then Dubois spoke a code word. One of the drivers removed his Soldbuch and opened it, where a jagged edged half of a poker card was hid. Dubois removed a half of a poker card from his uniform pocket and lined up the jagged edge of his to the other card. They matched perfectly.

Underground identity confirmed, the POW's and their "Gestapo" guards were split between the two cars and they were driven to a meeting place, an abandoned warehouse on the northern outskirts of Varel. Upon arrival, everyone one was quickly brought up to speed on the situation.

Hogan nodded. "Miller's safe where he's at right now. That gives us time to get some intelligence work done and pull together a few things before we go pick him up. First, we need to find out about the roads into Wilhelmshaven, how heavily patrolled they are and what there are for checkpoints set up. More importantly, which checkpoint do we stand the best chance of getting through? Second, I want to have Army uniforms on hand incase the Gestapo getups don't play into the plan or backfire all together. Third, we need to know where the Gestapo and/or SS are at here in Varel. Are they conducting searches, asking questions and the like? We need to figure out how easy or difficult it's going to be to move around in this town.

"Emery's message that we got just before we left Hammelburg last night I think summed up what we are to expect in Wilhelmshaven." Hogan looked around at everyone. "Let's get to work..."

A couple of hours later, Hogan had a good amount of information, a particular bridge crossing into Wilhelmshaven picked out and basic plan laid out in his mind. He and his men were checking a map of Wilhelmshaven and going over some of the details when one of the Underground men came running into the warehouse.

"Colonel," the man spoke, out of breath. "Gestapo. They are on their way to the safe house Major Miller is at."

"Right now?"

The man nodded. "The building has been under watch, apparently for a few days. We did not discover this until this morning. They know he is there and they are going to pick him up. We can not risk trying to warn them, as there is potential the phone line is tapped."

"Given Hochstetter's orders, a warning could turn into a blitz and could be dangerous," Newkirk said.

Hogan nodded. "Which is why we have to run interference instead. Carter, Newkirk, go get those Gestapo uniforms." Hogan looked at the man. "Where is this safe house?"

**oooo**

Elsa cooked up a robust breakfast for her, her grandfather and for their guests. Which was a good thing as Miller, refreshed after almost twelve hours of sleep, and the boys were quite hungry.

After breakfast, Major Miller stood by the window, looking out to the street three stories down, smoking a cigarette. The appearance of the street, for a brief, strange moment, gave no indication that a war was even going on. But that was soon interrupted by the sight of a Gestapo sedan coming to park on the side of the street opposite of the building Miller was looking out from.

He watched the four exit the car and they paused waiting for a break in traffic before crossing. Never taking his eyes off them, Miller called for Fritz.

The underground man was beside the bandleader in an instant and saw as the four Gestapo agents began to cross the street coming directly for the building. "Get the boys. We must get out of here..." Both men turned from the window, their observance already drawing the attention of the old man and Elsa. Fritz said nothing more than _Gestapo_ and immediately everyone knew what was happening. The boys came to immediate attention at Miller's command and the five were out the door.

Fritz led them down the hall to the back stair well, where they descended the stairs quickly, quietly and in single file. They came out to the alley between the two buildings and hurried the short distance to the car.

Miller pulled the passenger door open and paused, looking up and down at the alley as the boys dove into the back of the car. Fritz was in the driver's seat and the engine caught, turning over with an echo within the alley.

"_Halt!_"

Miller looked up and saw one of the Gestapo agents leaning out the window with pistol waving in the air in warning. Miller slammed the door and jumped back from the car, yelling for Fritz to go.

"Nein!"

"Go dammit! Get out of here!"

The Gestapo agent in the window opened fire, smashing the headlight on Miller's side of the car. Miller flinched and ran for the back of the alley, staying along the wall of the building avoiding another shot from the Gestapo gun before an overhang put him out of sight of the officer. Fritz hit the accelerator and the car peeled out into the street before the gun could be turned on him.

In the back of the car, Erik was horrified. "_We can not leave him here!_"

"_We're not going to. I am going to drive around and try to pick him up..."_

At the end of the alley, Miller found himself at the crossroads of a maze. To his left was a short path that went up directly to a street. To his right, was another long narrow alleyway leading to another street. Directly in front of him was another building. He looked back in the direction he had come from. He couldn't see the window the Gestapo agent had been in but figured he was more than likely winding his way down those back stairs to the alley doorway and his three friends would be joining him. Miller came to a decision and headed down the long narrow alley, looking back one more time.

Had he taken the short path to the street, he would have met up with Fritz. The sedan slowed as Fritz and the boys looked to see if Miller was there. They saw him heading in the other direction before losing him in the shadows. Fritz stepped on the accelerator and turned the car at the next corner to try to make it to the other street and be there when Miller came out of the alley.

The Gestapo men came out of the doorway of the building and ran down the alley. They saw Miller heading down the long alley. One of the Gestapo men grabbed another and they doubled back to go get their car. The other two continued after Miller.

At the same time, Hogan, Carter and Newkirk were coming down the street in their Gestapo car. They saw as the two Gestapo men darted between traffic to cross the street to their car.

"I hate to say this guv'nor but I think we're too late," Newkirk said.

"Pull up behind them..." Hogan said quickly. Newkirk did so and the Colonel jumped out of the car.

"_What is happening?" _he asked.

_"The American was in the tenement building. He has escaped on foot. There are two men after him now. We are going to try to head them off."_ The Gestapo men jumped into their car and pulled away from the curb.

Hogan leapt back into his car. "Miller's on foot, they're going to try to head him off. Step on it!"

Newkirk was already hitting the accelerator. He followed the other car down the street and through the turn. Up ahead of them, they spotted somebody in a German uniform come out of the alley and continue running up the street to the next alleyway.

"That's gotta be him in the Kraut uniform," Newkirk said.

Hogan watched as the car ahead of them kept going, obviously to turn the next corner, go up the street and come back down to try to beat Miller to the end of the alley way. "Pull up to the alley there, like we're blocking it."

Newkirk did so. Immediately Hogan jumped out of the car and ran down the alley after Miller. The other two Gestapo men came out of the first alley and ran up to the car. "_Where is he? Where did he go?_"

"_Down the alley," _Newkirk answered. "_Don't worry...he's not going anywhere..."_

A realization came to Hogan as he was running to catch up to Miller. The Colonel was dressed in a Gestapo uniform. Miller was being chased by Gestapo. _Nice going, Hogan. Nice going! What the hell makes you think he's going to stop for you? You might be able to "catch" him but he's carrying a side arm, more than likely fully loaded. And he'll put it to good use if he thinks you're Gestapo_.

That really only left one option.

"Major!" Hogan shouted.

Yeah right. Like Miller was going to stop for _that?_

A hundred fifty feet or so from the end the alley, however, Miller did stop when another car blocked it. He turned around, took a few steps forward and then saw Hogan heading towards him. Of course it wasn't Hogan he saw, it was just another Gestapo officer. Looking back and forth between the end of the alley and Hogan, the Major saw his options severely limited. He pulled the gun from the holster.

Hogan stopped cold, about fifteen feet from Miller, his hands out in front of him. He was right about one thing. The Major wasn't going anywhere without a fight. But if the Gestapo officers coming from the car saw the gun out, they'd take him down in cold blood. Miller would have no chance.

Miller had the gun aimed low toward Hogan and his stance blocked from the other two Gestapo officers the fact that he was holding a weapon.

"Major!" Hogan hissed. "Dammit, put the gun down! It's me! Hogan!"

Miller looked like a deer caught in headlights. _Hogan!_ He couldn't believe it! "Colonel...How--?"

Hogan quickly approached the Major, relieving him of the pistol. "Follow my lead, I'm gonna get you out of here..."

Miller stared at the Colonel for another moment still disbelieving it was really Hogan. _Where the hell did he come from! _The sound of approaching foot steps pulled his attention back to the two Gestapo officers coming from their car. "Colonel, we're dead where we stand..."

"No, we're not." Hogan tucked the gun in the belt of his Gestapo uniform. He took hold of Miller's arm and turned it behind the Major's back, making as if he had just apprehended him. "Trust me..."

"_Well done!_" one of the Gestapo officers spoke as the two approached. Hogan held both of Miller's hands behind the Major's back and the bandleader struggled a moment against the grip, for show. The second Gestapo officer approached Miller, looking smug. "You will wish you have not caused us so much trouble..."

The first Gestapo officer had removed his Luger from its holster. "_I say we finish it right here..."_

"Nein," Hogan spoke up. "_My understanding is there are to be witnesses_..."

The first Gestapo officer smirked, tapping the barrel against his left index finger. "_There are. The three of us."_

"_General Burkhalter has POW's in mind for the witnesses_."

_"General Burkhalter is a Luftwaffe General...what business does he have deciding what the Gestapo should and should not do regarding its own escaped prisoners?" _The officer raised his Luger level at Miller. The Major was pulling against Hogan's grip for real this time.

Hogan turned Miller so that he was out of the line of fire of the Luger, and Hogan was in it. "_As far as the Fuehrer is concerned, he has all the business!" _Hogan replied. "_Major Hochstetter issued the order, the Fuehrer wants it carried out that way. The POW's are to be witness."_ Hogan paused. _"If you shoot this man, _Leutnant_ than I will take it upon myself to shoot you for disobeying direct orders."_

While the officer paused to consider this, Fritz and the boys were slowly passing the alley. Through the windows of the Gestapo car, all three boys saw the Major surrounded by Gestapo, his hands held behind him and the gun leveled at him.

"NEIN!"Erik yelled. Once they passed the Gestapo car, Erik lunged for the door and tumbled out of the back of the car.

"Erik!" Adler and Ahren both exclaimed. Erik quickly picked himself up and started for the alley. Fritz brought the car to a stop and Adler jumped out of the car running after the younger boy.

Erik reached the Gestapo car and squeezed around it and into the alley. Adler jumped up on the front bumper, then onto the hood and leapt off, tackling Erik to the ground.

The commotion caught the attention of the two Gestapo officers, Hogan and Miller. They looked as Adler was hauling Erik up and despite the fourteen-year-old's vocal protests, forced him back to the end of the alley, physically pushing and pulling him.

"Sie!" the second Gestapo officer shouted. "Halt!"

The first Gestapo officer lowered his weapon and took off after the two boys who had squeezed their way back around the Gestapo car and out of the alley. The second officer looked at Hogan.

"_Get him out of here. We will meet you at Gestapo Headquarters."_

Hogan nodded. The second officer took off down the alley.

Hogan let go of Miller. The Major looked at him with concern. "That looked like Erik and Adler..."

Meanwhile, Adler pushed Erik back into the car and then jumped in after. The door slammed shut and Fritz stood on the accelerator, the car peeling away just as the two Gestapo officers reached their vehicle. They both saw it. "_That is the car that was in the other alley!_" the second officer said as they immediately got into their car. The chase was on.

Hogan and Miller were hurrying back the other way where Carter and Newkirk were waiting. "I _told_ Fritz to get out of here," Miller complained.

"He would have. But obviously he was looking for one more chance to pick you up."

"He should have just _gone!_ Now he's got the Gestapo after him and those boys. I was trying to avoid that."

"We'll get him."

Hogan and Miller reached the car and Miller stopped momentarily, not sure who the other two officers were.

"It's all right," Hogan said. "It's Carter and Newkirk."

"Howdy Major!" Carter said with a grin.

Newkirk smiled too. "The other two are all set here, Colonel." He pointed to the two real Gestapo officers that were now seated on the sidewalk, tied together back to back. Both were unconscious.

Hogan nodded. "Good. We have a slight problem though. The other two are after Fritz and the boys."

"We saw two cars go zooming by up the street a minute or so ago," Carter said.

"That was them." Hogan looked at Miller. "If I know Fritz, he's going to try to stay around this neighborhood, lose the Gestapo long enough to try to pick you up."

"But Erik and Adler saw me surrounded by Gestapo. They'll think I've been captured."

"And Fritz doesn't know we're here," Newkirk pointed out. "This could get a might sticky."

"Fritz shouldn't even be looking for me," Miller said. "He should just lose the Gestapo and get the hell out of here."

"Thing is, he won't. Not unless he can pick you up or verify you've been captured. Either way, we have to get that car off his tail before they bring in back up. I'll drive. Newkirk, you ride in front. We may need your RAF sharpshooter skills."

Newkirk nodded and the four of them got into the car. The sedan was turned around and pointed in the direction Fritz's car was last seen.

"Okay fellas," Miller said, now finally having the chance to ask the question he had wanted to ask the moment he had recognized Hogan. "How in the world did you get here?"

Newkirk turned in the passenger seat and grinned at the Major. "Ah, a little of that ol' Black Underground Magic."

"Fritz managed to send out a couple of SOS messages," Carter added, "so we knew you were in a bit of trouble. Then Emery sent one from Wilhelmshaven that wasn't very promising."

"Emery... did those boys make it?"

"They did," Hogan said, never taking his eyes off the road. "But that's when we found out you hadn't. So once we were finally able to figure out where you were, the Underground got us out of Stalag 13 to here, by train. We figured to just meet with you at the safe house, go over the plan to get into Wilhelmshaven and get you there. Imagine our surprise when the Gestapo was already trying to pay you a visit."

Newkirk looked at Hogan. "How do you suppose they knew he was there?"

"Bad luck on our part. Emery's message alone told us there's a heavy Gestapo and SS presence in this area. They're probably watching every suspected safe house and Underground operative between Clappenburg and Wilhelmshaven, just waiting for the Major to appear. They found him here."

Miller paused. "What about that old man and his granddaughter...?"

"They should be all right. I'm sure they fled when you and Fritz did."

"I hope so..."

Hogan turned the car down another narrow street, all of them on the look out for Fritz's car being chased by the Gestapo. The neighborhood seemed practically deserted, although the occasional face appeared in the windows of the buildings as they passed. Nothing stirred on the side streets as they passed.

Carter and Miller both were looking out the back window when they spotted two cars go zipping across the street several hundred feet behind them. "There they are!" Carter announced. "Two streets down behind us."

Hogan turned the car sharp and brought the sedan around, speeding back in the direction they had just come.

"Which way?" he asked.

"Left."

At the second street, Hogan turned left and up ahead of them a fair distance they saw the two cars. As Hogan stood on the accelerator, demanding every once of speed the car could give to catch up to the chase, Newkirk readied his pistol. He removed his Gestapo uniform hat and rolled down the window.

"Make it a good shot," Hogan said.

"I intend to sir..." Newkirk leaned out the window and took aim.

Meanwhile, Fritz and the boys were too busy worrying about the road ahead of them and the Gestapo car behind them to be concerned with a second Gestapo car following them. And when shots rung out, they could only assume the Gestapo was shooting at them and thus Fritz yanked the wheel to the right, taking a sharp turn and barreling the car down another road.

Newkirk saw this and held his fire for only a moment before taking aim at the front right tire of the Gestapo sedan, nailing it just as the car went into the turn. The loss of control was immediate and the forward motion sent the car spinning wildly, the back end coming completely around.

"Woo!" Carter exclaimed.

Newkirk ducked back into the car just before Hogan made the turn. He grinned. "Now was that a good shot, or was that a good shot?"

"That was a damn good shot," Miller said.

They blew past the disabled Gestapo car, keeping an eye on Fritz's car up ahead.

The boys with Fritz saw the Gestapo car be knocked out of the chase and momentarily cheered, but then suddenly weren't so sure about the second Gestapo vehicle that was now after them. Fritz wasn't so sure either. Why would one Gestapo car knock another one out of the same chase? All the same, he wasn't about to stop and ask.

"How are you going to get Fritz to pull over?" Newkirk asked.

"I'm not. We're going to have to cut him off," Hogan replied. "Get him to stop long enough so that Miller can tell him who we are." Hogan took a right at the next side street in anticipation of Fritz's direction.

When the boys announced that the car had disappeared from behind them, Fritz took momentary relief before his thoughts turned to Major Miller's fate and the relief turned to dread. Erik's distraught reporting of Miller having been surrounded by Gestapo in the alley had meant one thing: There was no going back for him. Fritz sighed heavily and whispered a prayer with apology as he turned the car down another street. The push and pursuit of the Gestapo had been unforgiving. Reflecting, Fritz knew the near miss at Clappenburg had marked the beginning of the end. _I should have known it was only a matter of time._

He still had a mission to complete, however. He still had to get the boys to the sub.

He wondered though how he was going to explain things to Colonel Hogan, who in turn would have to explain things to Allied Command, who would then have to tell the world. Bad news all around.

Fritz was brought out of his defeated thoughts when suddenly a black Gestapo car appeared in the road up head, blocking it. Fritz hit the brakes, coming to a stop about ten feet from the car. He immediately put his car in reverse and turned in the driver's seat to look behind him as he backed up. Neither he, nor the boys right away, saw the back door of the Gestapo car open.

"Damn, there he goes..." Miller said as he stepped out of the car. He hurried after Fritz.

Fritz was still looking behind him, backing the car up. Reverse speed wasn't very fast, however, and it didn't take long for Miller to catch up to the car. "Fritz! Hey!"

Ahren looked through the windshield. "It is Herr Miller!"

"What?" Fritz hit the brake, jerking the car to a stop and he looked forward. Sure enough! Figuring Miller had somehow escaped from this Gestapo car, Fritz pointed to the back of the car, in gesture for Miller to hurry and get in. Miller chuckled and instead gestured for Fritz to put the window down.

"You'll never believe it," he said, glancing toward the Gestapo car. "It's Colonel Hogan."

Fritz blinked. He then looked at the car. "That is why the other car was knocked out of the chase!"

"Praise the Lord huh?" Miller smiled. "The Colonel says to follow, there's another safe house not far from here."

Fritz nodded. "Ja, I know what one he speaks of. I will follow."

Miller returned to Hogan's vehicle and the two cars made their way to the outskirts of Varel.


	13. All or Nothing

**Varel, ****Germany  
****Day 9**

LeBeau and Kinch, along with Dubois and a few other members of the Hammelburg Underground, were waiting at the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Varel. The large wooden structure had no heat but no one seemed to really care. They were too concerned about the Colonel, Newkirk and Carter making it in time to help Major Miller. LeBeau paced, absently rubbing his already gloved hands together. Suddenly he stopped when he heard a noise outside. He and one of the other Underground men went to look and saw the Colonel returning with another car directly behind. Hogan was waving for the large barn-sized doors to be opened. LeBeau and the other man pushed them open quickly and the cars immediately pulled in, never having to stop. Once the vehicles were inside, the large doors were pulled closed just as quickly. The rumbling engines stopped and the cars were emptied of their occupants.

Erik, Adler and Ahren immediately approached Major Miller, relieved that he was okay. Hogan, the boys and the Underground men gathered around as well.

Miller looked at Adler and Erik in reprimand. "Just what were you two thinking, jumping into the alley like that?" he asked.

Ahren was startled and hastily translated. Erik looked offended and answered back, "_Warum erklärten Sie Fritz, ohne Sie an fortzufahren? Dann sehe ich Sie in der Gasse, das Gestapo im Begriffwar, Sie zu schießen! __Ich__ könnte nicht lassen, das geschehen!"_

Ahren put a hand on Erik's shoulder, indicating the boy should settle down. Knowing Erik's animation was sufficient, Ahren translated back plainly. "He wants to know why you told Fritz to go on without you."

"And?" Miller prompted, knowing Erik had said more beyond that.

Ahren paused. "We all saw you in the alley, with the Gestapo. Of course, we did not know of these men..." he gestured toward Hogan, Newkirk and Carter. "...all we saw was you being held with a gun pointed at you. Erik jumped out of the car because he could not allow what was going to happen, to happen. Adler only went after him to bring him back."

Miller looked at Adler and Erik, heaving a small sigh. Not only was Fritz determined to not leave Miller behind; the boys weren't about to allow it either. "The reason I told Fritz to go on without me was because I didn't want you boys to be captured, too. They're after me. I figured if I could draw off the chase, Fritz could clear out." Miller looked at Fritz. "But he didn't."

"I wouldn't," Fritz corrected.

Ahren translated quickly to Adler and Erik. Adler then spoke, much more subdued than Erik, but the determination in his voice needed no translation. " _Wir sind er gingen nicht froh. Herr Miller, schätzen wir Sie alles nicht wünschend, uns zu geschehen, aber wir möchten nicht nichts sehen, Ihnen zu geschehen. Wir sind zu weit gekommen. Entweder alle wir gehen nach England mit Ihnen, oder wir nicht."_

Ahren translated to Miller, emphasizing Adler's end statement. "Either we all make it to England with you, or we don't." The long and short of it was that all five of them were determined that nothing happen to the other four. A damnable stalemate that could only be settled one way.

The look on the Major's face was clear as he regarded the three boys. _Why do they have to be so damn loyal? _If faced with another situation like that they had just faced, he would rather the boys got away safely, even if it was at his expense. But the looks on their faces, along with Fritz, was equally as clear and Miller found himself outvoted. He sighed and grudgingly nodded. "All right."

The boys chuckled and grinned at one another. Colonel Hogan came up beside Miller. He smiled. "If these boys were under your command in the Army, you'd have a right loyal troop."

Miller gave a sideways glance at Hogan. "If these boys were under my command in the Army, they would've been ordered to get their butts out of Varel when they had the chance."

"Well I said they'd be loyal. I didn't say they'd follow orders."

The gathered Underground men chuckled. Miller was half amused. "Okay, so they're sticking with me no matter what. What happens now, Colonel?"

"Now we get you to Wilhelmshaven and get you the hell out of Germany."

--- ---

With a map of Wilhelmshaven spread out on an old dusty table, Colonel Hogan explained his plan.

"From here, there's a few roads that cross the canal and go into Wilhelmshaven. The two main roads are heavily guarded and patrolled. There are a few secondary roads with a bridge crossing over this canal. Based on what information we've been able to get, this one here is in a fairly rural area. The checkpoints have been beefed up and even these ones in the sticks are no exception. There are two army soldiers backed up by two Gestapo and two SS.

"Carter, Newkirk and I will make the initial approach to the checkpoint, flush out the soldiers and lead a chase away from the bridge. The checkpoint itself is set up solely to find Major Miller, therefore there will be no reason for any of the soldiers to stay behind to man it, if they think they're chasing Miller.

"Fritz, you'll be waiting in a barn here with the Major and the boys. Once we've cleared out the checkpoint and have lead the soldiers away and past this barn, you'll pull out, go around the corner here and should be able to cross the bridge with no problems. Once we've led the chase to this area, Dubois, you'll be waiting with some of the rest of the Underground and the soldiers will be taken off our tails. We then regroup and get out of the area before somebody realizes what's happened." Hogan looked around at everyone. "Anybody have any questions?"

Miller raised a hand. Hogan looked across the map of Wilhelmshaven to the Major, having expected Miller to say something.

Miller looked a little embarrassed when he realized he was the only that had something to say. "Uh...with all due respect, Colonel, I don't think it's going to work with you as the decoy," he said.

"Why not?"

"Because it's this mug they're looking for." Miller pointed to himself. "Now maybe with a pair of glasses you _might_ pass for me from a distance...but that's not going to be enough to lure them out. You'd have to get right up close to them, and up close you won't work as the decoy. If you were to pull a bait and switch, have me and Fritz draw them out of the checkpoint, we drive back and hide in the barn before they get up the road and then when they come around the corner, you're there to resume the chase, then the rest of your plan works fine."

Hogan leaned his hands on the table. "If you think I'm going to risk you as the bait, you can forget it."

"I don't think you have any choice."

"Are you forgetting I outrank you?"

Miller paused, his dark eyes unflinching. "Rank doesn't mean a hell of a lot right now."

Hogan saw the meaning behind Miller's critical gaze but ignored it. He would not put Miller at risk. "Major, I don't think you understand. That checkpoint is going to have two Gestapo and two SS soldiers there. If I allow you to run up to that roadblock, who's to say they won't shoot first and figure it out later?"

"Yes. And if _you_ run up to that roadblock pretending to be me, who is to say they won't shoot first and figure it out later? And just what do you think they're going to figure out once they realize who they shot?"

"We're supposed to be trying to get you out of here."

"Yes, I know. But don't misunderstand me. It's not that I don't appreciate all this, but you're risking an awful lot for my hide at this point. Colonel, I'm a musician..."

"You're Glenn Miller."

"No. I'm a _musician_, who's merely doing his part for the war effort. I had this same argument with Fritz yesterday. I'm not a General, I'm not a spy with important information, and I'm not a German defector. I'm just a musician. And in the grand scheme of this Second World War...I really don't amount to a whole lot."

"Well for somebody who doesn't amount to a whole lot the Germans are making a very big fuss about you," Newkirk said.

"That's beside the point." Miller looked back to Hogan. "Colonel, the word back in England is they think they can win this thing in a matter of months. The French have been liberated, half of Italy is under Allied occupation and the Russians are beating the hell out of the Germans on the Eastern Front. I know you boys have risked a lot already just to get me this far and I'm very grateful. But I think you're risking too much to get me through this one checkpoint, when I can just as easily be the bait and save you all a lot of trouble if something goes wrong. You're organization is much too vital to the war effort to be blown apart now."

Hogan looked at Miller's straight and serious expression for a moment, recalling their first conversation at Stalag 13 and Miller's willingness to accept sacrifice then. _There's more at stake here than just my life, Colonel. You understand what I mean? _At the same time, however, Hogan still found the prospect of putting Miller purposely in harm's way troubling. It wasn't because Miller was a celebrity. Hogan was hardly swayed by star status and frankly, Miller didn't carry himself like a celebrity anyway. It was what Miller was _beyond_ that. Plus the fact that Hogan had a responsibility to see to it that Miller made it back to England safe. Those were his orders. That's what he was supposed to do.

By the same token though, Miller had a convincing argument. Hogan broke the gaze, sighed and pushed away from the table with the sudden urge to pace.

The surrounded Underground members and Hogan's men were quiet, either watching Hogan pace or looking at Miller, who was watching Hogan pace. The Colonel then stopped and looked back at Miller.

"I'll admit you make a valid point, but I'm not crazy about the idea of you risking yourself. How do I explain to London if something goes wrong?"

"You tell them the truth," Miller said. "Tell them I was an insubordinate SOB. They'll buy that."

The men chuckled. Newkirk leaned across the table. "Ah sir, you're my kind of officer!"

"Newkirk!"

Newkirk grinned at Hogan. "Yes sir."

"Insubordinate," Hogan said, amused. "How the hell did you get promoted to Major?"

Miller shrugged. "Considering how flustered I've made the brass over the past two years, sometimes I wonder. All the same though, I do take the rank seriously. I'm not trying to be a pain here, Colonel…I'm just making sure all things are being considered." Miller stood up from the table and approached Hogan. "I know you have your orders, and I understand that. I just think you have a bigger obligation here than my hide. I made the Nazis mad on a propaganda level and my end might make them feel better for a bit, but it's not going to win them the war. On the other hand, if the Underground efforts were to be crushed in the process of my return to England, the Nazis will forget me, be more than happy to have you and might even win the war."

Hogan regarded Miller for a moment."You have a very subtle way of putting things into perspective, Major."

Miller snorted softly. "Sugar coating things was never my strong point."

Hogan weighed the risks for another moment and then finally nodded. "Okay," he said with a sigh. "You'll go in as the bait. We do the bait and switch." Hogan walked back to the table and the map and Miller followed. "You and Fritz will lure them from the checkpoint and then you'll drive like hell back up the road, around the corner and zip into the barn. As long as you stay far enough ahead of them, they'll only see you go around the corner here. They won't see you go into the barn. Up the road here, Newkirk, Carter and I will be waiting in the decoy car to resume the chase. Once we've led the Gestapo and SS away from the area, you head back to the bridge and cross just as you were going to originally." Hogan looked at the Underground members. "The rest of the plan remains the same. It'll be up to you to help us get the Gestapo and SS off our tails."

Heads nodded.

"LeBeau, as soon as you and Kinch see Fritz and Miller have crossed the bridge safely, you give the signal on the radio. At that point we can shake off the Gestapo and SS." Hogan paused and looked at Miller. "You realize I'm still putting myself and the organization at risk just by doing that..."

Miller looked at the Colonel and then at the gathered Underground men in the warehouse. "Perhaps. But the biggest risk is with the initial approach to the bridge. After the switch and you're leading those soldiers down that road with all your aces on both sides, those Gestapo and SS soldiers aren't going to realize they're in a rigged game."

Hogan nodded. _But I've got one more card I can still play…_


	14. Show Time

**Wilhelmshaven, ****Germany****  
Day 9**

Ironically, Hogan picked the same bridge Emery had crossed the night before. All bridge crossings over the canal had been beefed up after the incident and the two Army soldiers at this bridge were now supplemented with two Gestapo and two SS soldiers.

From the barn set atop a hill overlooking the canal and bridge, Colonel Hogan stood with Kinch. Hogan was dressed in a German army uniform, Kinch was in civilian attire. The traffic lined at the crossing was light and some cars were being waved right through. Hogan surveyed the scene through field glasses and then lowered them to trace with his own eyes the road that curved around coming up the hill and passed the barn. "As long as Fritz stays far enough ahead of them they'll never see him pull into the barn," he said.

Kinch nodded. "Dubois has everyone set up down the road to make sure you, Carter and Newkirk aren't caught."

"Good." Hogan looked down the road for a moment and then to Kinch. "It's going to be up to you, LeBeau and those three Underground men to make sure Miller makes it into town and to the boat."

Kinch nodded. "Are you still going to try and double back?"

"You bet I am." Hogan glanced toward the road one more time and then nodded to Kinch. "Let's get started." They walked into the barn, where Fritz, Miller and the boys were waiting with LeBeau.

"Well, Major," Hogan said. "It's time." He paused noting Miller's weary yet impassive expression. "You can still change your mind."

Miller was sure Hogan could see right though him, but he refused to acknowledge the fact that deep down, he was scared to death. He looked at the boys. At the time he had made his suggestion to the Colonel, Miller had not intended for the boys to go with him. Instead, he figured they would wait in the barn and be picked up when he and Fritz made it back. But they had insisted on going with him. After all, they argued, the Gestapo was looking for not only him but a group of youths as well. Plus they reminded him of the all or nothing agreement they had.

Miller turned back to face Hogan and shook his head.

Hogan looked at the boys seeing their expressions nowhere near as guarded as Miller's. They were scared, but would stand firm, the Colonel knew. He looked at Miller. "Then we say goodbye again."

"How about see you later?" Miller said, trying to keep the mood somewhat positive and keep his own concern at bay. He put his hand out.

Hogan gave a reassuring smile and gripped Miller's hand. "Paris?"

"When it's all over."

The Colonel nodded. "It's a promise." He let go of the handshake and saluted. "Good luck, Major."

Miller returned the salute. "Thank you, Colonel. For everything..."

Hogan nodded and then turned to leave the barn. "Wait for the signal that we're in position," he said to LeBeau.

"Oui, Colonel."

Hogan then stepped out of the barn where Carter and Newkirk were waiting in a second decoy German Army staff car. The car then drove down the road a couple hundred feet away from the barn and opposite the turn that led to the bridge. Newkirk pulled off the road and behind some brush, coming to a stop but leaving the engine idling.

"You can see the bridge from here, Colonel," Carter said, looking out the back window of the car.

Hogan looked past Newkirk and could see the bridge too. "Good." He raised the hand held radio. "Home Base this is Mirror Image. We're in position."

"Acknowledged." LeBeau signaled to Fritz and the sedan rolled out of the barn to the road.

It only took a couple of minutes to wind down the road to the bridge. A car was already ahead of them and Fritz slowed to stay back a good distance. Another car pulled up behind them. Otherwise there, was no traffic.

Miller had his window rolled down as did the boys behind him. Up on the hill, Hogan watched through the field glasses.

The car ahead of Fritz moved across the bridge. Fritz stayed on the brake long enough for the two Army soldiers to call impatiently to him to move. Fritz waited just a little bit longer. This got the attention of the Gestapo and SS soldiers who had been hanging back while the Army conducted the checkpoint. They now moved closer to the road from the guard hut near the bridge to get a closer look at this car once it moved.

Fritz did, pulling to the left and then turning right so that Miller and the boys were in clear view of the soldiers. The soldiers didn't know what to make of this.

Miller leaned out the window a little, a fear induced cocky grin flashing briefly. "Hi…looking for anyone in particular?"

The two soldiers blinked and then every man at the checkpoint reacted once they registered the face looking at them, and the English Miller had spoken. Miller flinched away from the window as one of the army soldiers reached for the door handle, the other fumbling to bring his weapon up to bear. Fritz stood on the accelerator, turning the car around the rest of the way and taking off back down the road.

The Gestapo and SS men rushed forward as the army soldier fired a couple of wasted shots at the fleeing sedan. The Gestapo then ordered everyone after the car.

Watching the scene from the hill top, Hogan realized he had been holding his breath, especially with the sound of the shots being fired. He breathed again, seeing the sedan flee but then found himself holding it once more as he watched the soldiers disburse for vehicles parked off the road. All of them were taking the chase.

"He's got them all," Hogan said.

"Is Fritz far enough ahead, Colonel?" Carter asked.

Hogan looked and found the sedan barreling up the hill heading toward the turn. The two pursuing vehicles were a healthy distance behind as they had to negotiate around some traffic first as they got out of the starting gate.

"He's perfect."

Newkirk grinned. "Damn shame they're leaving that checkpoint wide open. Somebody might slip through..."

"Somebody _is_ going to slip through." Hogan settled back into the passenger seat, grinning. Newkirk pulled the car around the brush and they waited, watching for the chase to come around the corner by the barn.

As Fritz's sedan was tearing its way back up the hill, Miller and the boys were looking the back window to see if they had picked up all of the soldiers. Seeing they had, and that they were sufficiently ahead of them, Miller turned back forward. "If they'd taken that bait any harder, they'd have taken the rod and reel."

Fritz pushed the sedan to the crest of the hill and through the turn, the tires digging into the dirt of the road. They made the short distance to the barn and pulled in, LeBeau and Kinch hurrying to pull the barn doors shut.

The two pursuing cars tore up to the crest of the hill and made the turn, flying past the barn.

Newkirk had the decoy car already on the road and he hit the accelerator once the German Army and Gestapo sedans came into view of the rear view mirror. The chase thundered down the road.

With the coast clear at the barn, LeBeau and Kinch pushed the barn doors open again and Fritz backed the car out. The two heroes waved to the sedan as it headed back down the road. Miller and the boys waved back before the car turned the corner and was gone from sight. LeBeau and Kinch went to the back of the barn to watch the car go back down the hill, approach the bridge and cross it...like it was doing nothing more than going for a Sunday drive.

They watched the car until they couldn't see it anymore and then returned inside the barn to send the signal and then wait for the Underground to pick them up. So far so good...

--- ----

Carter looked out the window behind him with concern. "You'd better step on it, those guys are coming up fast!"

Newkirk already looked troubled. "I've got it t' the floor now..." He looked at his gauges but could see nothing wrong, other than the speed wasn't up to where it should have been. He shifted down and then back again and realized the problem. "I think she's lost a gear..."

"Lost a gear?" Hogan said. "We didn't just try to come up that hill."

"Well, no sir we didn't but..." Newkirk tried to shift again. "She's not shiftin'. And I can't skip the gear, it's the top one that's out."

"Terrific---" Hogan was interrupted by gunfire coming behind them.

"Aw great, they're bringin' out the artillery!" Newkirk said.

Shots danced off the back fenders and one bullet hit the corner of the back window. Carter ducked. "They're not fooling around, Colonel!" the sergeant exclaimed.

Hogan turned to look briefly out the back window. The Gestapo car was in the lead of the pursuit was about a car length behind them. They would be overtaken in only a few minutes. He turned back forward and saw they had at least a mile before reaching the woods where the Underground was waiting to assist. Hogan cursed the open fields on either side of the road where they were at right now.

Another round of shots were fired hitting the back window and forcing the three heroes to duck again. "We'll never out drive them, but we have to fend them off." Hogan looked at Carter in the back seat. "Carter, did you bring anything with you?"

"No, sir. All that came with this Kraut uniform was the side arm..." Carter looked down to the gun at his side and then looked at the small wooden box that had been in the back of the car since they had gotten it from the Underground. "Wait a second!" He pulled the lid off and found four German hand grenades. "Jackpot!" He held one up to the Colonel.

"God bless the Underground!" Hogan said, taking the grenade.

"There's three more, Colonel."

"I think two will be all we'll need." Hogan turned back forward and rolled down his window.

"I'll cover you," Carter said. He pulled the side arm and used the butt end of it to smash out some of the glass that was already shattered. He then settled the gun in his hand and looked toward Hogan. "Ready, Colonel."

"Now, Carter!"

Carter opened fire as Hogan leaned out the window, pulled the pin on the grenade and then lobbed it back at the pursuing Gestapo car. The driver of the Gestapo car saw the object coming and swerved out of the way. The grenade missed landing on the Gestapo sedan and hit the ground directly in front of the Army car, forcing the front wheels of the Army car upwards before the car turned and landed on its side.

"One down..."

The Gestapo answered with a barrage of gunfire, taking out more of the back window of Hogan's car. Newkirk flinched as one of the bullets went zipping by his head and cracked the dashboard.

"Bloody _hell..._"

Carter handed Hogan another grenade. When a pause in the gunfire came, they repeated their mode of operation and Hogan tossed the grenade. This time however, Hogan didn't aim for the sedan itself but directly in front of it. The driver had no where to turn this time and when the grenade touched the ground the entire front end of the sedan was swallowed by a ball of orange.

The force of the explosion rocked the heroes in their car too. Newkirk fought with the steering as the car fishtailed a little. He let up on the gas only to bring the car back under control and then gunned it again once they were straight. The two destroyed pursuit vehicles were left behind.

Although there was a sense of relief between the three heroes, there was little celebration. They still had a lot to do and Hogan knew that the two explosions were bound to have got somebody's attention. They had to meet up with the Underground up the road and get the hell out of the area before it was too late.

--- ---

Wilhelmshaven was a fairly large seaport town and an extra Army sedan coming into town hardly raised an eyebrow amongst the citizens. But knowing that the Gestapo and SS were probably looking extra carefully at any Army car that came into town, Fritz and Miller both were watching the traffic around them and taking notice of any Gestapo soldiers on the streets. The boys were hunkered down in the back of the car, so as not to be obvious.

They passed one Gestapo car that didn't appear to take any notice in the Army car with the busted headlight. Miller turned to look out the back window, making sure the car kept going. It did, but the Major wasn't exactly relieved. He turned forward again.

"I don't know about you, Fritz, but I feel like they know it's us and they're just quietly setting a trap."

"Unless they have heard of the disturbance at the bridge and are on their way out there to assist," Fritz replied.

"Wouldn't there be more of them?"

"Not if they had gone out another road."

That was possible. Miller looked back to the street, watching the pedestrians, people on bicycles, other cars...and a Gestapo soldier standing at a street corner. Miller lowered his head and propped an elbow on the door panel, looking like he was dealing with a headache and obscuring his face from view of the soldier. Once they passed, he raised his head and looked behind him. The soldier was still watching the car. Miller turned back forward.

"They're watching..."

They would pass a few more like that, some scattered SS troops and another Gestapo sedan in the street. All the while, Miller felt obvious. Like there was great big neon sign on top of the car saying _One American Bandleader and Three German Youths Here. Inquire within..._

Major Hochstetter, as luck would have it, was in Wilhelmshaven, conducting his own personal search. At that same moment he was exiting a suspected safe house after his search turned up nothing. He paused to speak to another Gestapo officer near the street and then looked up as the Army sedan came down the street.

Miller and Fritz both recognized Hochstetter.

"Ohhh Lord..."

"Verdammt!"

Miller turned his face away from the window and looked at Fritz. "What the hell did you have to come this way for?"

"How was I to know he would be here?"

Hochstetter watched the sedan and noticed how the passenger had their face turned away. That was all he needed. The Gestapo major suddenly came to life and yelled for everyone to go after the car.

Miller looked behind him and saw the Gestapo scrambling for their car. "We've been tagged, Fritz..."

Fritz stepped on the accelerator, having seen the same in his side mirror. In the back of the car, three heads popped up and looked out the back window of the car, seeing the Gestapo sedan begin its pursuit. Fritz drove as fast as he could, turning down another street and then another trying to stay ahead of and out of sight of the pursuing Gestapo.

"If I can stay ahead of them, there is a street I will drop you and the boys off at. There's a safe house there, you can get there on foot. When you go there tell them you were sent by Fritz."

"What! Wait a minute, what about you?"

"I will do what I can to lose the Gestapo. But I will take no chance of them catching you and the boys. Not when we've made it this far."

"You don't care for long goodbyes do you?"

"Do you?"

"Not really, but I didn't figure it to be this short either!"

Fritz laughed. He weaved the car through some traffic and turned down yet another road, heading closer toward the piers. The Gestapo sedan got held up momentarily in the traffic.

"Get ready..." Fritz said. "I'm going to drop you at the end of this street right up here. The building is just up a little bit and it is number sixteen..."

Miller nodded, his hand on the door handle ready to open it. "It's been nice knowing you, Fritz. I truly appreciate all you've done."

"Herr Miller, I wish you the best of luck."

"I think you need it more than I do..."

Fritz pulled to a quick stop at the next side street "Go..."

Miller and the boys spilled out of the car and hurried away from it to the side street. Fritz pulled away and Miller and the boys paused at the side of the building, out of sight of the pursuing Gestapo sedan once it came around the corner. Miller gently pushed the boys behind him and watched as the sedan flew past them and continued after Fritz. He watched the car until it disappeared and sighed heavily. He looked around the street, the quiet neighborhood a stark contrast to the events that were unfolding. The boys were looking around too and looking at him anxiously, as if to say _we must move, quickly!_ He sensed this and nodded to them. They started to walk down the street looking for number sixteen...


	15. End Run

**Wilhelmshaven, ****Germany  
****Day 9**

After reaching the woods, Newkirk pulled the sedan off the road and Dubois met up with them after a few moments.

"So much for our rigged game," Hogan said.

"What happened, Colonel? We heard explosions. Major Miller---?"

"Is on his way into Wilhelmshaven as we speak. But we had to take other measures to get the Gestapo off our trail. We're going to have every goon in Germany in this area in no time because of those explosions, which means we have to clear out of here. _Now._" Hogan looked at Dubois. "Your men are on their way to town with Kinch and LeBeau?"

"_Oui__, mon Colonel_."

"Then let's get the hell out of here."

--- ----

Major Miller and the boys tried to look unhurried as they walked down the sidewalk looking for number sixteen. There were a few pedestrians on both sides of the street and of course the passing traffic. Miller kept one eye out for Gestapo and SS soldiers and half expected one to just jump out of nowhere, making the Major feel like an eight point buck on the first day of hunting season.

The buildings on the street were tenement type buildings and there was hardly an alley or a driveway to jump into should a car or foot soldier spot them. Finally though, they reached number sixteen and hurried up the steps, Ahren and Erik in front of Miller, and Adler behind. Inside, Emery had seen them coming down the street and he hurried to the door to open it before anyone was able to knock. Startled, Miller grabbed hold of Ahren and Erik's shoulders to pull them back but recognized the face looking back at him from the door way.

Emery stepped aside and waved them in. He said nothing until they were all inside and the door shut. "Good Lord, I thought you had all been captured!"

"We've come pretty damn close," Miller replied.

"How did you know to come here? What has happened? Where is Fritz?"

"He told us to come here. The Gestapo spotted us after we came into town. He threw us out of the car down the street, the Gestapo's after him now."

Emery's expression revealed the fear for his comrade for a split second, then he was suddenly he was all business. "Then we must hurry. We must get you and these boys to the pier." Emery turned to call for the other two Underground operatives, when Miller grabbed his arm and turned him back around. Miller, too, had the same sinking feeling what might happen to Fritz but he realized as he looked into Emery's now guarded gaze that there was little he, or Emery or anybody could do about it. Slowly he let go of Emery's arm and looked away.

"We must get you out of that uniform, Herr Miller..." Emery said softly. He then turned again and went to get the other two.

--- ----

LeBeau, Kinch and three Underground men drove an unassuming delivery truck into town on a different road and turned a corner just in time to see the careening Army staff car.

"Look!" LeBeau exclaimed. The Underground driver stopped the truck and they watched the chase go barreling past them.

"That looked like Hochstetter," Kinch said.

LeBeau muttered a string of expletives in French. Another Gestapo car came off a different street and joined the chase.

"Maybe we can still help," one of the Underground men said. He slapped the driver on the arm and pointed for him to follow the chase.

Major Hochstetter, meanwhile, was to the point of swearing at his driver, who was finding the task of keeping up with the fleeing army sedan a daunting one. Having an especially animated and often threatening superior in the car wasn't making things any easier.

"He's turning! He's turning! Don't lose him!"

The driver was becoming tempted to ask the Major if _he_ would like to drive instead. He stayed after the army sedan, weaving through traffic and turning down another street.

Fritz was trying to lead them as far away from the pier as possible. He saw in his rearview mirror he had now not one, but two Gestapo cars after him. Up ahead, another one pulled out into the street, blocking it. Fritz pulled to the right, aiming for the sidewalk.

The three Gestapo men had guns drawn and were aiming at Fritz. The windshield exploded in glass and Fritz ducked but ended up taking a bullet in the shoulder. The force threw him back against the seat and he gripped the steering wheel, although for about a second he didn't know where he was going. The sharp pain in his shoulder radiated through his chest and neck. More shots were fired, piercing the passenger side window and door. Fritz's sedan made it past the Gestapo car, scraped a lamp post, nicked a telephone booth and then crashed through some wooden crates of vegetables that had just been unloaded from a truck and were being delivered to a restaurant. People in the vicinity scattered like birds from the mad car and it bounced off the sidewalk and kept going down the road.

The three Gestapo men were scrambling back into their car. Hochstetter in his car was screaming at them to get out of the way. Fritz had a few extra moments to flee and he would need every second of it.

LeBeau, Kinch and the Underground men held on for dear life as the truck pulled around the Gestapo cars and then stopped in the middle of the road, creating another temporary road block to buy more time for Fritz to flee.

Trying to ignore his shoulder, Fritz glanced at his rearview mirror and saw the delay in the chase. He turned the sedan down another street, drove and then turned down yet one more street, bringing the car to a stop in the middle of the road. He got out, nausea hitting him briefly and he stumbled a moment. He could see the red of his shoulder out of the corner of his eye but he refused to look. He mustered up all the strength he had and went to the back of the car, opening the trunk.

The Underground men, meanwhile, were pretending they didn't understand the Gestapo men's shouted orders to move their truck. Horns blared and arms waved for them to get out of the way. Finally Hochstetter persuaded them with the point of his pistol and the truck backed up out of the way. The three sedans tore off down the road and the delivery truck followed at a distance.

Fritz's left hand was tingling and damn near useless so he worked quickly with his right hand. The trunk had carried rations, extra clothes, a pistol, a rifle, two hand grenades and supplies that he couldn't allow the Gestapo to capture and confiscate. The car itself he couldn't allow to be confiscated by the Gestapo. He could leave no trace of the Underground, and if he survived he would have to find a way to make this up to Sturtevant. Fritz threw the lid off the small box that had the two grenades in it and he pulled one out. He pulled the pin with his teeth, spit it out and left the grenade in the trunk, running as quickly as he could away from the car.

The Gestapo had almost blown past the street Fritz was on. The first car spotted the Army sedan sitting in the middle of the road and came to a halt, signaling to the other two cars behind them to go down the street. Hochstetter's sedan had no more than turned the corner when the Army car suddenly ripped apart in a ball of orange.

Hochstetter's driver hit the brakes and skidded to a stop. The Gestapo men could do no more than watch the fire and wait for the debris to settle. Hochstetter was stone quiet as he watched the other car burn, the fire reflecting in his own dark eyes. It wasn't long before people started coming into the street to see what was going on, and there was shouting to bring water to put the fire out. Hochstetter then stepped out of his car.

Two other Gestapo officers came up beside him. "Do you think he was in there?" one of them asked.

"I could hope for no less..." Hochstetter growled. "Still they may be on foot. Spread out and search this neighborhood."

"Jawohl, Herr Major."

The delivery truck paused for only a moment at the end of the road letting two of the Underground men out. They would mingle with the crowd, get information, some answers and then meet up with the truck away from the scene.

Fritz, meanwhile, was only just up the street in a narrow alley way where he had collapsed just before the explosion occurred. He could afford no rest and he fought the urge to do so. He got back to his feet and put his back against the building. He peered around the corner of the building and saw the sedan was pretty well destroyed and that the Gestapo was hindered for a little bit. But he knew they would ask questions and search the area on foot and that he could not remain where he was. He had to get somewhere safe.

He turned back into the alley and paused a moment, taking a few deep breaths. He held onto his shattered shoulder now and continued walking down the narrow path.

--- ----

Major Miller had made a quick change into civilian clothes and then he, Emery and the boys got into Emery's car and drove the short distance to the pier. The waterfront was quiet and tranquil compared the commotion Fritz was creating in town. Miller, Emery and the boys had no more than stepped out of the car when they heard the _boom_ of the explosion.

All of them stopped and looked toward the town. Miller turned to look at Emery but the Underground man knew he had a mission to finish. "This way..." he said.

--- ----

Colonel Hogan, Carter and Newkirk had traded their ill-handling staff car and German Army uniforms for the Gestapo attire again. With Dubois and a couple of Underground men following in another car, they drove into town arriving several minutes after the explosion.

"Something's happened…" Hogan said, watching the scene around him. A regular _Polizei_ was directing traffic away from a street. A small group of citizens had gathered trying to see what had happened but were held back by Polizeiand Gestapo. Newkirk pointed the sedan toward the street and was waved through by the Polizei. Dubois followed.

"I don't like it, guv'nor," Newkirk said, driving slowly toward a cluster of Gestapo cars at the end of another street. "Even though we're disguised there's too much Gestapo crawlin' around here for my taste." He pulled up behind another sedan and stopped.

"I don't know if I wanna know what's behind that corner, Colonel," Carter said.

"I'm not sure I do either. But we have to know. C'mon…" Hogan stepped out of the car, with Newkirk and Carter following. The Colonel signaled to Dubois to stand pat for a moment and the Frenchman nodded.

The three heroes walked to the end of the sidewalk, turned the corner and stopped at the sight of Fritz's destroyed cloned staff car. They immediately assumed the worst.

"Oh my God…" Hogan said quietly. The three of them stared at the wreckage. Carter then turned to the Colonel, as if seeking confirmation that what he was seeing was true. _They couldn't all have been ... could they?_

Newkirk apparently thought so and seethed. "Those bloody bastards!" he hissed. "They got 'em all! They must have been waiting for them!"

Hogan blinked out of his stare just in time to see Major Hochstetter. He turned suddenly to Newkirk, turning the corporal around from the wreckage. Carter turned too. "Take it easy," Hogan said. He glanced back once more at Hochstetter and noted the Major's facial expression seemed infuriated, almost as if….

_No, that might be too much to hope for_, Hogan thought. He turned back to Newkirk and Carter. "Hochstetter's here. C'mon….I don't want him to see us, but we're going to find out what happened here."

The two nodded and started to walk back to their car. One of the two Underground men who had been mingling through the neighborhood, spotted Hogan, Carter and Newkirk and approached casually. They then stepped off to the side and he explained what he had learned.

"Everyone here only saw one man in the car. He got out and detonated an explosive in the trunk and then took off on foot."

The heroes looked temporarily relieved. "That must be Fritz," Hogan said as he glanced around the scene. "And they're looking for him." He looked at the Underground man again. "Which means he dropped Miller and the boys off somewhere."

The Underground man nodded. "Yes, but there is something else. The man who fled from the car is wounded."

"Badly?"

"Unknown."

"Colonel," Carter spoke up, "with all this Gestapo crawling around Fritz won't make it a mile from here. Whether they know he's wounded or not."

Hogan nodded. "We have to find him and get him out of here. And find out where Miller ended up." He glanced up to see Hochstetter talking to several Gestapo men. "And do it without being spotted…."

--- ----

Emery led Miller and the boys down a boardwalk, to a dock and then to where the fishing boat was moored. The Captain of the boat and two of his crew members were standing on deck. Recognizing Emery, the Captain turned to one of his crew and instructed him to go start the engines. He then went to greet his new passengers.

"Ah Guten Tag!" he said with a smile. "You made it!"

"Ja," Emery replied with a nod.

"With a lot of luck," Miller added.

"Erhard, this is Glenn Miller."

The Captain shook hands with Miller. "Welcome aboard. We've been expecting you."

"Thank you." Miller turned to Emery. "Okay, you got us here. Now go get Fritz out of trouble and get yourselves out of here."

"Fritz is in trouble?" the Captain said.

"Last I saw him he had the Gestapo chasing after him," Miller explained.

"Oh! Then go on, Emery, go on. Herr Miller and the boys are safe here now."

Emery nodded. He looked at Miller and put a hand out to him. "Herr Miller..."

Miller shook hands. "Thanks for everything." He let go. "Go on..."

Emery nodded again and turned to leave the boat. The boys said goodbye to him as he returned to the dock and Emery waved. He then continued on to the boardwalk.

The Captain looked at Miller. "Come. I will take you below deck where you will be more comfortable. I'm sure you've had quite a trip..."


	16. Leave No Man Behind

**Wilhelmshaven**

From the pier, Emery walked back to the safe house, changed into the Gestapo uniform and then took the car to go find Fritz. He saw the smoke coming up over the tops of buildings a short distance away and drove toward it.

Gestapo and Polezei presence thickened the closer Emery got. Soldiers were on foot, searching doorways, footpaths, and alleys and stopping people to ask questions. Emery drove slowly, taking in the scenes around him, trying to figure out what was going on, what had happened.

He turned down the street Fritz had left the car and now saw what had happened. The sight startled him and he stopped the car, looking at the destroyed vehicle a few feet away. The doors were blown out and hanging limp off the car, the trunk lid was completely severed and sitting a few feet away. The entire back side of the car was a blackened hulk of metal, wood and fabric. The front end was slightly damaged but Emery saw the German Army fender flags. Major Miller had been wearing an army uniform. Emery had a sudden sinking feeling.

"_Soldaten_?" A knock came on the glass.

Emery jumped and looked to see a Gestapo man was at the window. He rolled the window down. "_What happened here?_" he asked before the Gestapo man could ask him what he was doing there.

"_The Underground.__ The American, Miller, was spotted in that car. We gave chase, but when we came around the corner the car exploded._"

"_The American was killed?_"

"Nein. _Witnesses say there was only one person in the car and they saw him get out before the explosion. The American, in appears, has gotten away._"

"_Then you are looking for an Underground man?_"

The man nodded. "_He apparently went that way_," he pointed behind Emery. "_We figure he can not be far from here. We think he is wounded._"

"_I see. Well, I will be on the look out here._"

The Gestapo man nodded. "_That would be appreciated._"

Emery nodded and gave the customary salute. He then backed the car up, turned around and headed in the direction the Gestapo man had pointed.

Hogan, Carter and Newkirk, meanwhile, had returned to their vehicle. Dubois and his men were quickly brought up to speed on the events that were unfolding and that their task now was to locate Fritz before the Gestapo did. The Underground man Hogan had been talking to returned to the delivery truck with his comrade and they too set out to find Fritz, letting LeBeau and Kinch know that Hogan, Carter and Newkirk had made it to town.

Before sending Dubois off, Hogan asked about safe houses in town, and where Fritz might have possibly dropped Miller and the boys. Dubois gave the address of the closest safe house and Hogan, Carter and Newkirk drove in that direction.

Fritz, meanwhile, was waiting for his luck to run out. Nausea was grabbing at him but he fought it back, adrenaline keeping him standing and moving. He stayed ahead of the Gestapo but knew they were pretty much right behind him. Gestapo cars passed on the street slowly, soldiers were on foot. Fritz ducked into doorways, hid behind empty crates, snuck down a footpath, hid behind a pile of trash and down underneath stairwells to stay out of sight of the vehicles. The foot soldiers were far enough behind him as not to spot him yet. All the while however, he fought the urge to just collapse.

He wasn't even sure of where he was going. He knew he had no chance of making it back to the safe house. But he would not allow himself to be caught alive by the Gestapo. He would keep going until death itself finally took him.

From behind his latest hiding spot, a wooden ox cart parked in a narrow alley, Fritz ventured a peek to the street. The Gestapo foot patrols were still a good distance down the street. And there were no Gestapo vehicles prowling the street at that moment. Fritz took a chance and came out of the alley. He did a sweep as he crossed the street, looking both ways, looking all around. He reached the other side and continued up the street to the next narrow alleyway.

Up the street, Emery stopped at an intersection, debating which way to go. The sight of a soldier down the street holding his shoulder as he walked caught Emery's attention. He knew it had to be Fritz and that he indeed was wounded. Emery stopped short of pulling out into the street. He was dressed as Gestapo and surely Fritz would see the uniform before the face.

As he sat a moment, trying to figure how to approach Fritz without causing too much alarm, an ordinary delivery truck passed by. Emery noted the speed of the truck and found it odd. The truck was not merely passing through this residential area, it was as if the truck was looking for something. Emery watched and saw the truck slow considerably as it came closer to Fritz. He concluded they had to be Underground and he pulled out onto the street.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fritz saw the truck and then he looked up, seeing the Gestapo car. Busted. He stopped only a beat before picking up his pace to get to the next alley before the car got to him.

The men in the truck had started to get out when Fritz took off. They hesitated seeing the Gestapo car. Emery recognized the Underground men and he stopped the car behind their truck, flashing the headlights so they would know he was no threat. He then got out of the car, was recognized and followed them to the alley.

Fritz wasn't moving very fast. The nausea was becoming much more than he could stand and finally his knees buckled out from under him and he went down. Emery hurried to where his friend had fallen in a heap. "Fritz..."

Fritz turned slightly, raising his left arm in a vain attempt to fight against the Gestapo man who had him. There were other faces surrounding him too, but it was all a blur.

"No," Emery said. "Fritz, it's me, Emery..."

Fritz looked up at the face and at recognition he touched the side of his friend's face and gave a weak smile. "Emery, old friend..."

"Come on, we'll get you out of here." Emery started to pull Fritz's left arm to sit him up with LeBeau spotting Fritz's wounded right side.

Fritz resisted a moment. "Herr Miller...?" he said. "The boys...?"

Emery nodded. "They are on their way to the England." He smiled. "We did it."

"They made it to the boat?" LeBeau said. "Colonel Hogan will be happy to hear that!"

Fritz's smile was still weak but was now filled with relief.

"Come," Emery said. "If you can stand up I can carry you out of here to the car..."

Fritz nodded and shifted his feet to stand once Emery pulled him up. Emery steadied his friend for a moment before leaning forward and lifting Fritz over his shoulder. He carried the wounded man back to the street.

A few pedestrians were mulling around and saw the Gestapo man carrying the wounded Army soldier. But that was all they did was look. When they came out of the alley, LeBeau spotted the foot soldiers that were a distance down the street and he alerted the Underground men. They all returned to the truck and started it, turning the vehicle in the road to block the view of the foot soldiers. Emery hurried to the car, brought Fritz back to his feet and pulled the door open, offering a steady hand while Fritz got into the car. Once Fritz was in, Emery closed the door and got in behind the wheel. The delivery truck then completed the turn and drove on up the street. Emery pulled the sedan into the street with little fanfare and followed the truck. The foot soldiers saw this but thought little of it, thinking it to be one of theirs asking questions. The truck and car went up the road and turned, disappearing from sight.

LeBeau picked up the hand held radio. "Home Base calling Mirror Image. Bluebird has flown!"

Newkirk had no more than parked the car in front of the address Dubois had given when LeBeau's voice came over the radio. Hogan picked up his radio. "You sure about that Home Base?"

"_Oui!_ Got it straight from the man who set the bird free."

"That's good news, Home Base. What about our Apple Dumpling?"

"Found him. We're taking him to be patched up."

"We'll catch up to you." Hogan turned to a grinning Newkirk. "Let's get out of here."

The truck and Emery in his Gestapo sedan managed to slip out of Wilhelmshaven by going to same road Fritz had come in on. The checkpoint, of course, was still wide open and Emery didn't look back once they cleared the bridge. The vehicles headed for Varel. Not long afterward, Dubois and Colonel Hogan in their respective vehicles crossed the bridge as well.

About thirty minutes after Emery and Fritz crossed the bridge, Major Hochstetter was coming to the grudging conclusion that Major Miller, and the Underground, had slipped out of Wilhelmshaven. The trail was going cold. The answers from residents were becoming a monotonous "no" when asked if they saw anything or anyone. Continued searching of the area revealed nothing. Reports of the bridge checkpoint having been cleared out and the subsequent destruction of the Army and Gestapo vehicles were finally reaching Hochstetter's already burning ears.

It was over. Hochstetter stood in the middle of the street looking at the destroyed cloned Army staff car clenching his teeth. The damnable Underground had succeeded again. He turned to one of the other Gestapo officers and ordered the rest of the search called off. "There is nothing to find now," he said. "Only a mess to clean up."

At the time Hochstetter called off the search, Major Miller and the boys were transferring from the fishing boat to the Royal Navy submarine. It would be another two hours before German intelligence confirmed that Miller was back on English soil.


	17. Gratitude

**Stalag 13  
**

"Yes, Herr General...He has?" Kommandant Klink was saying into the phone. "So it has been confirmed? ... Yes, terrible, I know, what he did was a complete insult to Germany...Yes, Herr General..."

As Klink was speaking, Sergeant Schultz came into the office. He waited for the Kommandant to finish.

"Yes, Herr General, their punishment will remain in effect despite Major Miller's return to England...Yes...Danke, Herr General... What? Oh yes, Heil Hitler." Klink hung up the phone and looked at Schultz. "Yes, Schultz what is it?"

"Pardon me, Herr Kommandant, but the Gestapo has returned with Colonel Hogan and his men."

"Of course. I was just speaking to General Burkhalter. Major Miller has returned to England."

"He has? Oh that's wonderful---er, I mean that's too bad."

"Schultz! Watch what you say." Klink came around the desk and stopped next to the portly staff sergeant. "Although just between you and me, I'm not all that upset that he made it back to England."

Schultz nodded. The two then left the office to greet the returning POW's.

"Just play it cool," Colonel Hogan told his men as the car passed through the gate.

The car came to a stop at Klink's office, the Kommandant already waiting on the stairs. As everyone exited the car, Klink approached, looking at the "Gestapo" officers.

"Did they give you any trouble?"

"None at all, Herr Kommandant."

"Hmph. Naturally. Only _me_ they give trouble to! Schultz, see these prisoners back to their barracks." Klink looked at the group of POW's. "And keep in mind gentlemen that despite Major Miller's miraculous return to England, you are still confined to the barracks for the remaining 30 days."

Hogan had to do all he could to hold back his grin. The rest of the boys were exchanging happy congratulatory glances.

Klink obviously noticed this. "Well, if you like being confined to barracks that much, I can add another 30 days to that."

"No, that won't be necessary," Hogan said, sobering quickly. The others followed suit. "My men and I will return to the barracks at once." He saluted.

"Dismissed." Klink saluted back.

Hogan and the boys turned and started across the compound, trying not to look like they were hurrying.

Schultz paused a moment beside the Kommandant. "I've never seen prisoners so happy to be confined to the barracks."

Klink could only shoot an annoyed look before heading back into his office. Schultz shrugged at the "Gestapo" men and followed after the POW's.

The "Gestapo" men exchanged amused glances before returning to their vehicle. Another Underground mission had been completed and was a success…

...thanks to Papa Bear.

**  
London, ****England  
**

Major Miller had no more than stepped on English soil when he was told that G2 wanted to have a talk with him. He asked if they could wait, at least long enough for him to partake in a shower and put on an American uniform again. They allowed this. But when Miller wanted to meet with his band members to find out where they were at, G2 balked and the Major was ordered to SHAEF headquarters immediately.

Down the hall from General Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith's office, Major Miller sat in a room waiting, albeit impatiently. He was exhausted and just wanted to put this whole thing behind him. He lit a fresh cigarette and looked around at the English furnishings of the room. The door behind him clicked open and Miller stood up.

In came a refined, sharp eyed, silver haired general. Miller paused in surprise and then saluted. The general looked at Miller somewhat sternly and returned the salute. "General Aloysius Barton.1 At ease, Major," the man said. He walked to the desk and put his attaché down. He remained standing a moment and looked across the desk at Miller.

Miller too remained standing and was getting the feeling he was in some serious trouble for blowing off G2's initial request for this chat. Although he didn't outwardly squirm at this general's unflinching gaze, inwardly he cringed. "Sir I...apologize for my tardiness."

The general snorted. "You call four hours tardy?" He sat down behind the desk and opened the attaché. "However, I'm not surprised you would blow off Army protocol at this time. You've been doing it since day one. Sit down, Major."

Miller did, without a word.

"Perhaps this is insignificant to you, but you were kidnapped and held by the enemy for approximately _nine days._ We're just a little curious as to what has transcribed over the past nine days."

"And you need to know this the minute I'm back?"

Barton's look was sharp. "No, not the _minute_ of your return. But certainly _sooner_ than four hours after. Major, obviously you're not aware of what Supreme Headquarters has been doing for the past nine days while you've been gone. Since the Germans never publicly admitted to having captured you in the first place, SHAEF has not revealed you were captured at all. Your conspicuous absence has been explained that you have been under the weather. Your band has continued its regular performance and recording schedule, but all of the live broadcasts were suspended for the time as the Germans had threatened life and limb if your band was heard on the radio. The explanation for that was given as technical difficulties."

Miller had known of the suspension of the live broadcasts but was stunned at the rest of it. "You mean...this whole thing has been kept quiet? Nobody knows I've even been _gone_?"

"With the exception of your band members, no. Eisenhower's orders. Preservation of troop morale."

"I see..."

"Therefore, the importance of this debriefing is three fold. We want to know what happened while you were there, what was it the Germans were planning to do with you for propaganda and who helped you to escape. And had you reported here four hours ago as you were supposed to, we'd be through a good portion of all that by now."

"With all due respect, sir, I'd like to just put this whole thing behind me and get back to the band. We've got a lot of work to do before we transfer to Paris. But if you want to know everything that happened, I'll tell you everything that happened."

Barton nodded. "Then let's get started..."

A little over two hours later, the door of the office opened and Major Miller stepped out, holding his crush cap in hand. He appeared uncharacteristically subdued, and if anybody had seen him at that moment, they would have seen him reveal more in his expression than he had ever let show before. Miller had seen a lot in this war, just as a bandleader and just in the six months he had been in England. His usual stoic facade didn't always hold up. And at that moment right there, it was down completely.

He took a couple of steps away from the door after closing it and then paused again. General Barton would be the last person to know of what had really happened in Germany. Due to the sensitivity of Colonel Hogan's operation, Miller was sworn to secrecy. He could tell no one of what he saw at Stalag 13.

That itself wasn't what subdued him. He had expected to be hushed about it anyway. What subdued him was the vast clandestine aspect of the whole thing, combined with the knowledge that very few people even knew where he had really been. The Germans never said they had him, SHAEF never said he was missing or had been captured. It was like he was neither here nor there and he could tell no one what really happened.

In essence he was getting what he wanted -- to put the whole thing behind him. If asked, he was to say he had been ill. Period at the end.

But something was nagging at him. Colonel Hogan, his men and all those people of the Underground put a lot on the line to get him back to England. More than he deserved. And he hardly had a chance to express appropriate gratitude.

The door opened again and General Barton stepped out. Miller turned and the General looked at him. "Something wrong, Major?"

Miller thought about his idea for a moment. "Well, no sir, but...I was wondering something. Would it be possible to send a message to..." Miller caught himself and looked around the empty hall, "...those boys?"

Barton considered this a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I think that can be arranged. I'll have a cryptologist contact you, they can work your message into code."

Miller hesitated. "I was thinking more of something that could be read on a broadcast?"

Barton didn't look so sure. "Major..."

Miller held a hand up. "I know, I know. But...if I'm going to express my appreciation to those boys I want to do it the same way I've been doing for all the other boys fighting in this war."

Barton thought it over for another moment and then nodded. "It can be done. I'll let the cryptologist know."

Miller nodded and gave a respectful smile. "Thank you, sir." He saluted the General and turned to leave.

Barton let the bandleader go a few feet before calling after him. "Miller."

Miller stopped and turned. "Yes sir?"

For the first time that afternoon, Barton smiled a little. "Welcome to the club."

Miller snorted. "Thank you, sir. I...only wish I could put together a house band for it."

Barton laughed.

Stalag 13  
Day 10

The following evening at seven-thirty, Kinch came up from the tunnel.

"Good news, Colonel," Kinch said as the entrance clattered shut behind him. "The Underground says that Fritz is back in Düsseldorf and will recover from his wound."

Carter, Newkirk and LeBeau, who were all seated at the table and had been fiddling with the radio, cheered. Hogan nodded with a smile. "That's good to hear, Kinch."

"Got a message from London too. There's apparently going to be a coded message in Miller's broadcast tonight."

Hogan raised an eyebrow. "Coded message?"

"That's what they said. The usual signature, Unsung Heroes."

"Hmm. Interesting…"

"I wonder what kind of message London would have Miller send?" Carter asked.

"Probably our next mission," Hogan said. "It's probably some corker and they want to sweeten it up with a little _Moonlight Serenade._"

The men chuckled.

"If you ask me," Newkirk said, "I think we should have a little time off before our next mission." He turned the dial on the radio to tune it, clearing the sound of the BBC broadcaster doing the news.

"Unfortunately, nobody asked you," LeBeau said and slapped Newkirk's hand away. "I had that tuned just fine before!"

"I was just fine tuning it---"

"Colonel! Schultz is coming."

Hogan no more than looked at Newkirk then the corporal had the radio snatched up and heading back to its hiding place in a foot locker. Newkirk then dove for the bunk that was over the tunnel and lounged back, appearing relaxed.

Everyone else in the common room appeared oblivious when Schultz came in with another guard. Hogan looked up from the table. "Hi Schultz! Little early for the poker game aren't you?"

"Jolly joker… Nein, the Kommandant has ordered a surprise check of the barracks."

Hogan looked at his watch. It was ten minutes to eight. "Now? This is the first night of our poker tourney and some of the guys are getting anxious. Can't this wait until morning?"

"No! We will inspect the barracks right now!" Schultz turned to the first bunk near the door and then suddenly stopped, turning back to the Colonel. "And there is not suppose to be any gambling in the barracks! Colonel Hogan, you know that!"

"I know that, Schultz. And you know that. But we can both pretend that we know nothing, can't we?"

Schultz chuckled. "No, no….I know nothing. You…" Schultz stopped chuckling and sighed. "…know everything." He turned back to the bunk and went about his duty.

The men of the barracks stood, rather impatiently, as Schultz and the other guard went through the spot check. Colonel Hogan glanced at his watch and then bore his gaze into the two guards. _Hurry up!_

Finally, at five minutes after eight, they finished. Schultz however, still seemed to be looking for an excuse to hang around and the talk of a poker game had done it. Hogan looked at Schultz with admonishment. "Schultz, I'm ashamed of you. You know there's no gambling allowed in the barracks!"

"There isn't? Oh! That's right!" Schultz looked sternly at all the prisoners. "There is NO gambling allowed in the barracks!"

"Exactly. And given how much you _lose_ you should be sticking to that rule for awhile."

"Don't remind me." Schultz rolled his eyes and headed for the door of the barracks. Once he was gone, Newkirk pulled the radio out of the footlocker and turned it on.

"I hope we didn't miss it…" he said. With the BBC tuned in once again, he placed the radio down on the table and everyone gathered around to listen. Kinch readied his pad of paper and pencil.

"….for the medley this evening we have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue for all of our unsung heroes out there. We know you are ever vigilant and remain steadfast and all your duties, even against truly incredible odds. Our thanks for what you do we express often and our prayers are with you in everything you do. Together we will all see this through. You remain in our hearts from London to Paris to Rome and to Moscow. Our first tune…."

As the music played, Kinch transcribed the message. He then smiled and looked at Hogan. "'You are all truly incredible. Thanks for everything. See you in Paris.'"

Hogan looked from Kinch to the radio and smiled. "I'll be darned…"

----

At the AEF band's makeshift studios in Bedford, England, the music from the orchestra filled the ears and hearts of the seven boys who had made the trip to England with Miller. Despite the uncertainty of their futures, the boys were confident things would turn out okay. Hearing the orchestra live and in person was a thrill they only could have dreamed of. There was a sense that, for a moment at least, things were right in the world.

Back home in Germany, there were two more boys listening. Hans and Josef were huddled near a radio in Hans's room, tuned to the BBC and playing low. They smiled to one another hearing Major Miller's voice and then the band start in.

Yes, for one brief moment, all was right in the world…

* * *

Notes: 

1. "The General Swap" ep.49 -- Jeff Evans (AGroovie1)'sstory _Debriefing: A Navigator's Story_ prompted the idea for this scene which has me thinking of a potential Part Three (but if I never get around to writing it, it's no big deal, as Part One and Two are pretty darn sufficient. LOL). Given Miller's sworn secrecy of Hogan's operation and then his eventual disappearance just a few short weeks after the events in this story…well, I'm thinking more alchemy with history let's say.

------------------------------------------------

**_Sustaining the Wings: Author Notes_**

Since I went through several revisions and different versions and had several different files hanging around with this story, I'm unsure whether all of my little notes and tidbits made it into the footnotes of the various chapters for both part one and two. So I figured I'd put together this massive author note to cover everything. LOL

First a huge thank you to Cuz and Linda who beta read the second half of this massive story. Your suggestions and encouragement were greatly appreciated.

**Alton**** Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944)**.

What? Glenn Miller was a _real_ person? Uh… yes, he was. LOL

I have written a long rambling spiel in a vein attempt to explain why I put Glenn Miller himself in this story and it explains nothing. I'm not going to duplicate it here. I think tho', after these many months of writing, I've come to the simple conclusion: Danged if I know why I put him in this thing. He just showed up! LOL

Anyway, for those of you who don't know anything of the man, here's a very short lil' bio blurb…

American band leader, trombonist, and arranger who led one of the most successful big bands of the swing era. Actually formed two bands, the first one failing miserably, the second one being the one that took off and never looked back. Recorded hugely popular era defining hits such as "Moonlight Serenade" "In the Mood" "Pennsylvania 6-5000" "Serenade in Blue" and "String of Pearls." At the height of his popularity, Glenn disbanded his orchestra and enlisted in the armed forces going on to put together and even greater band there. Things did not take shape immediately, however, as Glenn had to endure basic training, the terribly disorganized Special Services Corps, Army bureaucracy, red tape and "Mickey Mouse colonels and majors" who saw him as a threat with his idea of bringing modern music into the Army bands. Even _Time_ harped on him about it, criticizing that instead of marching their feet, soldiers were "swinging their hips." But eventually everything blew over and the popularity of the band with the GI's was the only thing Miller cared about. Sixty years later, one of the shining marks of not only the USAF but of the other services is their mix of modern music being played along side the traditional marches.

**Historical references regarding Miller…**

_Anna continued, "Of course, now with you as our guest, the Propaganda Ministry has a most unique opportunity. Major, you speak some German, do you not?"_

_"No."_

_"Oh, come now. We've heard you on your broadcasts. You've improved greatly in the short time the broadcasts have been airing. Of course, we know you're not nearly as fluent as the young girl that is on your broadcasts with you...what is her name?" Anna paused. "Ilse. And the young man who sings the songs in German...Sargent... Desmond? Yes, Major we know all about the broadcasts and we've heard you speak German. And we've heard your music."_

**Between October and November of 1944, Major Glenn Miller and the American Band of the Allied Expeditionary Forces took part in several broadcasts on the ABSIE (American Broadcasting Station in ****Europe****) directed toward German soldiers and citizens. The ABSIE was part of the Overseas Branch of the Office of War Information (American propaganda) and broadcasted to the continent news, talk and entertainment in different languages in order to prepare the occupied territories for liberation. The German program was hosted by "Ilse" with Miller and the AEF band as a musical guest. Miller would speak with Ilse and to the audience in both English and German (reading from a phonetic German script) and many of the songs with vocals would be sung in German by Johnny Desmond**.

_"Hey, maybe we can be Stalag 13's answer to the Crew Chiefs," Carter suggested in humor._ **_The Crew Chiefs_**** were the group vocalists with Miller's AAF/AEF band.**

_"Well, Major, most of your day is spent rehearsing with the band and that is time I do not want to interrupt. I figured now would be satisfactory, as I have read that keeping late hours is not unusual for you." _**I'm sure his schedule changed (dramatically) once he went into the service, but during his civilian career Miller's night schedule was that he went to bed at 4 in the morning and got up around ****noon**** time.**

_"It's an honor to meet you, sir," Carter said. "I've got several of your records back home. I even saw ya in person once, just before I went into the service. And I saw you in __Sun Valley__ Serenade__." Carter paused. "Haven't seen Orchestra Wives yet."_ **_Sun Valley_****_ Serenade_**** (1941) and _Orchestra Wives_ (1942) were the two films from 20th Century Fox that featured the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The films were one of the first to feature a swing band as part of the plot instead of just having the band for one or two show scenes or to provide incidental music (often for a really awful and forgettable film). Miller, known for his shrewd business thinking and skill of commerciality, was the one who suggested the band be part of the plot and that the plot had to be at least fairly believable. The films did very well and remain popular even after all these years, serving as some excellent footage showcasing the Miller band at its best. (Now if only 20th Century Fox would release them on DVD! With extras! And recovered footage if any survived!)**

**HH Episodes/Characters referenced: **

_Anna Gebhart/Axis Annie_ ("Axis Annie" ep. #85). Anna Gebhart/Axis Annie was inspired by a real life German propagandist, Mildred Gillars (who was actually an American) who was dubbed Axis Sally by GI's. I knew there was no way she would want to miss out on an opportunity like this.

_Maurice Dubois_ ("Nights in Shining Armor" #70 and "Is General Hammerschlag Burning?" ep. #73). I've only seen the "Nights" episode, but I dug his character and thought it appropriate to use him in this story. Although the time period of this story France is liberated, I figure Dubois to still be helping the Underground, possibly now working in Belgium, but occasionally crossing into Germany.

_General Aloysius Barton_ ("The General Swap" #49) (See end of chapter above)

**General Clarifications with regard to Hogan's Heroes**

I am no expert on Hogan's Heroes. LOL. But I do know I took a couple of exceptions in regards to the tunnel system under Stalag 13. They are….

1. I never figured out if the stove the fellas come up through once in awhile is in Klink's quarters or the guest quarters. Near as I can tell from the various episodes I've seen (I have not seen all of them) it looks like it was done interchangeably, that is Klink's quarters was often hijacked for guests. LOL. So I don't know if there were any guest quarters at the camp or not. But for the purpose of this adventure, there is a guest quarters, which is located next door to Klink's quarters and there is no direct tunnel access. What, you think I'm gonna make it that easy? )

2. Some episodes showed a tunnel access to the cooler. For the purpose of this adventure, there is no tunnel access.

One more afterthought…. I noticed while flipping through the Brenda Scott Royce's book that there's a trivia section and one of the questions has to do with matching the hero to the girl who stole his heart. One of the ladies was a Wilhelmina. I have not seen all the episodes of HH, but I'm sure the Wilhelmina in the question is probably some young beauty. Believe me, the Wilhelmina in my story is not the same! LOL.

**Historical context**

_Charlie and his Orchestra._ The plot line of Miller and Swing music being used for the purpose of German propaganda wasn't as far fetched as I had initially thought. Keeping in mind that all Swing and jazz music was banned in Germany (it was considered "the art of the subhuman," musicians were persecuted and swing youths were jailed), Charlie and his Orchestra was a band put together by the head of the Nazi Propaganda Ministry, Dr. Joseph Goebbels, for the purpose of propaganda against the Allies. The bandleader, Charlie (real name: Karl Schwedler), spoke perfect English and would pepper messages between songs about the evils of FDR, Churchill and the Allies in general. The songs themselves were cover versions of the various latest hits, lyrics added or changed to a pro-Nazi, anti-Semitic tone. Everyone whoever heard the broadcasts knew it was a German ploy and a bunch of crock, but the band was often recognized as being a viable and talented outfit. Many of the musicians were sought after when the war ended. Who knew? LOL.

The young boys in the band were inspired by the boys in the 1993 film _Swing Kids_.

**Miscellaneous**

"There I was. Little Nell saved by Simon Legree." Dukes of Hazzard fans will recognize this quote. LOL. Little Nell, a character in Charles Dickens' _The Old Curiosity Shop_ and Simon Legree, the brutal slave owner from _Uncle Tom's Cabin_.

For a truck load of links about Glenn, Swing music during the war (as both propaganda and resistance) and the Hitler Youth you can check my site (link is in my profile as fanfictionwon'tallow links in stories.)

Thanks to all of you out there who stuck with me through this monumental story.


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